agronomy Article Mechanism(s) of Glyphosate Resistance in a Selected Plantago lanceolata (L.) R Biotype Vhuthu Ndou 1,* , Petrus Jacobus Pieterse 1 , Dirk Jacobus Brand 2 , Alvera Vorster 3, Amandrie Louw 4 and Ethel Phiri 1 1 Department of Agronomy, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa;
[email protected] (P.J.P.);
[email protected] (E.P.) 2 NMR Unit, Central Analytical Facility, Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa;
[email protected] 3 DNA Unit, Central Analytical Facility, DNA Sequencer, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa;
[email protected] 4 Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: In 2003, a glyphosate-resistant plantago (Plantago lanceolata L.) population located in the Robertson district of South Africa was subjected to different glyphosate dosages and the highest dosage (7200 g a.e. ha−1) gave no acceptable levels of control. Here we reconfirm resistance and investigate the mechanism of glyphosate resistance. Dose-response curves indicated that the glyphosate dosage rate causing 50% survival (LD ) for the resistant (R) biotype is 43 times greater 50 than for the susceptible (S) biotype, i.e., 43-fold resistant to glyphosate. Investigation into the Citation: Ndou, V.; Pieterse, P.J.; molecular mechanism of plantago showed shikimate accumulation of the R biotype was lower than Brand, D.J.; Vorster, A.; Louw, A.; that of the S biotype. The reported 31P and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra show Phiri, E.