Dr Christopher Preston

Research Interests

The Weed Science lab has a range of interests in weed management issues. These include the evolution, biochemical mechanisms of herbicide resistant weeds, gene flow from herbicide tolerant crops and its implications for farm management, risk assessment for weeds and herbicide tolerant crops and patterns of genetic diversity in weed populations. Current projects include:

• Understanding and management of glyphosate resistant weeds

• Managing the risks of trifluralin resistance in no-till cropping systems

• Integrated weed management of grass weeds in Southern Australian cropping systems

• Dispersal and genetic variability of Sonchus oleraceus on a landscape scale

• Ecology and management of trifluralin-resistant annual ryegrass in southern Australia

• Gene flow in glyphosate tolerant canola

• Mechanisms and inheritance of multiple glyphosate resistance in Lolium rigidum

• Detection and management of weed patches

• Mechansims and inheritance of 2,4-D resistance in Sisymbrium orientale

Publications

Some recent publications:

Preston, C, Stone, L.M., Rieger, M.A. and Baker, J. 2006. Multiple effects of a naturally-occurring proline to threonine substitution within acetolactate synthase in two herbicide-resistant populations of Lactuca serriola. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 84, 227-235.

Wakelin, A. and Preston, C. 2006. Inheritance of glyphosate resistance in several populations of rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) from Australia. Weed Science 54, 212-219.

Chauhan, B., Gill, G.S. and Preston, C. 2006. Influence of tillage systems on vertical distribution, seedling recruitment and persistence of rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seed bank. Weed Science 54, 669-676.

Hidayat, I., Baker, J. and Preston, C. 2006. Pollen-mediated gene flow between paraquat resistant and susceptible hare barley (Hordeum leporinum). Weed Science 54, 685-689.

Powles, S.B. and Preston, C. 2006. Evolved glyphosate resistance in plants: Biochemical and genetic basis of resistance. Weed Technology 20, 282-289.

Baker, J., Hidayat, I. and Preston, C. 2007.  Molecular tools for understanding distribution and spread of weed genotypes.  Crop Protection 26, 198-206.

Gaines, T., Preston, C., Byrne, P., Henry, W.B. and Westra, P.  2007.  Adventitious presence of herbicide resistant wheat in certified and farm-saved seed lots.  Crop Science 47, 747-754.

Lu, Y-Q., Baker, J. and Preston, C.  2007.  The spread of resistance to acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides in a wind borne, self-pollinated weed species, Lactuca serriola L. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 115, 443-450.

Werth, J.A., Preston, C., Taylor, I.N., Charles, G.W., Roberts, G.N. and Baker, J.  2008.  Managing the risk of glyphosate resistance in Australian glyphosate-resistant cotton production systems.  Pest Management Science 64, 417-421.

Baker, J. and Preston, C.  2008.  Canola (Brassica napus L.) seedbank declines rapidly in farmer-managed fields in South Australia.  Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 780-784.

Preston, C. Belles, D.S., Westra, P.H., Nissen, S.J. and Ward, S.M.  2009.  Inheritance of resistance to the auxinic herbicide dicamba in kochia (Kochia scoparia).  Weed Science 57: 43-47.

Preston, C., Wakelin, A.M., Dolman, F.C., Bostamam, Y. and Boutsalis, P.  2009.  A decade of glyphosate resistant Lolium around the World: mecahnisms, genes, fitness, and agronomic management.  Weed Science 57, 435-441.

Gaines, T.A., Zhang, W.L., Wang, D.F., Bukun, B., Chisholm, S.T., Shaner, D.L., Nissen, S.J., Patzoldt, W.L., Tranel, P.J., Culpepper, A.S., Grey, T.L., Webster, T.M., Vencill, W.K., Sammons, R.D., Jiang, J.M., Preston, C., Leach, J.E., Westra, P.  2010.  Gene amplification confers glyphosate resistance in Amaranthus palmeri.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 107, 1029-1034.

Expertise for Media Contact

Categories	Agriculture and farming
Expertise	Crop protection (weed management, herbicides, herbicide resistance); crop protection (resistance); weeds (management and control); Genetically modified crops
Notes	Alt phone: (08) 8303 8149
Mobile	0488 404 120

Entry last updated: Saturday, 18 Aug 2012