ABSTRACT
Resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors have increased recently in South Brazil where the major weeds of flooded rice (barnyardgrass and weedy rice) have evolved resistance to imazapyr+imazapic. The aim of this research was to evaluate a growth medium for tissue regeneration of tillers in barnyardgrass, as well as an agar-based bioassays test (also from tillers) to detect susceptible and resistant biotypes of weedy rice and barnyardgrass to imazapyr+imazapic in vitro. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to detect ALS-resistant (R) and susceptible (S) weedy rice and barnyardgrass biotypes, and bioassays were carried out to evaluate an adequate growth medium for barnyardgrass tiller regeneration and determine the concentration of herbicide to distinguish R and S plants. The culture medium that provided a suitable barnyardgrass growth was MS 50% with the addition of benzylamino-purine. The tissue regeneration in vitro with the growth medium containing imazapyr+imazapic allowed to discriminate between R and S barnyardgrass and weedy rice plants. The concentration required for satisfactory control of susceptible barnyardgrass and weedy rice explants grown in vitro was 0.9 µM and 1.3 µM of imazapyr+imazapic herbicide, respectively. The bioassay in vitro using tiller regeneration provides an opportunity to predict effectively imazapyr+imazapic resistance in barnyardgrass and weedy rice.