Glyphosate Resistance in Italian Ryegrass Concerning – IFA

IFA Grain Committee Chair Kieran McEvoy said the announcement by Teagasc on the discovery of a field population of Italian ryegrass resistant to the herbicide glyphosate was a very concerning development.

“Herbicide resistant grassweeds are a very significant challenge in crop production systems around the world and a future escalation of herbicide resistant grassweeds is something that our vulnerable tillage sector certainly does not need at this time,” he continued.

“We would urge farmers who are be dealing with Italian ryegrass or other aggressive grassweeds to consult with advisory services like Teagasc and collect seed samples to test for herbicide resistance,” Kieran McEvoy said.

“Farmers with herbicide resistant grassweeds may be faced with undertaking drastic cultural control measures to remove the problem,” he added.

In the 2024 public consultation on changes to the Noxious Weeds Legislation, the IFA Grain Committee called for a Government scheme to financially compensate growers forced to eradicate noxious grassweeds.

“It is vital to ensure that research institutes like Teagasc are fully resourced to further investigate herbicide resistance in grassweed populations and tackle this concerning development head-on,” Kieran McEvoy concluded.