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Agronomy QUESTION #2079
Question 1
Herbicide resistance in weed populations evolves most rapidly when:
  • Herbicides of multiple modes of action are rotated every season
  • A single herbicide or herbicides sharing the same mode of action are applied repeatedly in the same field, imposing strong directional selection pressure on the weed population — selecting for pre-existing resistant biotypes✔️
  • Herbicides are applied at sub-lethal doses to reduce crop phytotoxicity risk
  • Weeds are controlled exclusively through cultural methods
Correct Answer Explanation
Herbicide resistance evolution follows Darwinian selection: pre-existing resistant individuals (spontaneous mutations) survive repeated herbicide applications of the same MOA and reproduce, increasing resistance gene frequency generation by generation. Key risk factors: high selection pressure (same MOA every season), high weed fecundity, and short generation time. Phalaris minor resistance to isoproturon in Pakistan is a critical example.