Poppies (Papaver rhoeas, Papaver dubium, Papaver argemone) are not only pretty flowers. They are also major weeds in winter crops. Not content with that, they have also evolved resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. But what is the current prevalence of this resistance in France? A study of unprecedented scale using resistance very high throughput sequencing-based diagnosis has made it possible to seek resistance in 364 fields throughout France. Results: almost four out of ten plots where poppies are present are affected by resistance to ALS inhibitors! And if the north-western quarter of France is particularly affected, no region is spared.
The study (in French) is here.
And the updated resistance maps are here.
