Herbicide resistance in weeds: early detection, mechanisms, dispersal, new insights and management issues

Herbicides are considered to be among the most widely used pesticides. However, over-reliance on them and absence of any preventive or other cultural practices resulted to the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. Unfortunately, the number of resistant weed biotypes keeps increasing at a worrying rate, while climate change along with new cropping systems pose new challenges. Particular attention should be paid in the early detection of herbicide-resistance and the proactive measures that could mitigate the spread of the problem. Mapping and monitoring by means of remote sensing and other innovative approaches are considered to be of major importance, since site-specific weed management and precision agriculture practices are crucial for any successful management. Herbicide resistance may or may not constitute a competition penalty in the resistant populations. Development of integrated management strategies for herbicide-resistant weeds clearly requires an understanding of population dynamics and potential impacts of the resistant biotypes. Therefore, research on the relative competitiveness of herbicide-resistant and -susceptible biotypes is crucial. Moreover, herbicide tolerance cases could be also presented along with any studies of the involved mechanisms. The goal of this Research Topic is not only to present the most advanced research dealing with the management of resistant weeds, but also to attract new insights on biology, physiology, genetics and epigenetics, population dynamics, mechanisms and dispersal of the resistant weeds. Reviews on the current stage of science are also welcome along with studies on any interactions and effects of soil parameters, climatic conditions and cultural practices on herbicide resistance of weeds.