Methods of using ALS inhibitor herbicides for control of unwanted vegetation in ALS inhibitor herbicide tolerant beta vulgaris plants

1. A method for controlling unwanted vegetation in a Beta vulgaris growing area, the method comprising

(a) cultivating at least one B. vulgaris plant comprising a mutation in a position corresponding to position 1705-1707 of an endogenous acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene of SEQ ID NO:1, thereby encoding an ALS protein containing leucine at position 569 of SEQ ID NO:2 in the B. vulgaris growing area, and

(b) applying as the only ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) to the B. vulgaris growing area;

wherein the one or more ALS herbicide(s) is selected from the group consisting of:

amidosulfuron [CAS RN 120923-37-7] (=A1-1);

chlorsulfuron [CAS RN 64902-72-3] (=A1-5);

flupyrsulfuron-methyl-sodium [CAS RN 144740-54-5] (=A1-12);

foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13);

iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium [CAS RN 144550-36-7] (=A1-16);

mesosulfuron-methyl [CAS RN 208465-21-8] (=A1-17);

nicosulfuron [CAS RN 111991-09-4] (=A1-20);

rimsulfuron [CAS RN 122931-48-0] (=A1-26);

sulfometuron-methyl [CAS RN 74222-97-2] (=A1-27);

sulfosulfuron [CAS RN 141776-32-1] (=A1-28);

thifensulfuron-methyl [CAS RN 79277-27-3] (=A1-29);

triasulfuron [CAS RN 82097-50-5] (=A1-30);

tribenuron-methyl [CAS RN 101200-48-0] (=A1-31);

trifloxysulfuron [CAS RN 145099-21-4] (sodium) (=A1-32);

(A1-83) or its sodium salt (=A1-87);

flucarbazone-sodium [CAS RN 181274-17-9] (=A2-1);

propoxycarbazone-sodium [CAS RN 181274-15-7] (=A2-2);

thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3);

florasulam [CAS RN 145701-23-1] (=A3-3);

flumetsulam [CAS RN 98967-40-9] (=A3-4);

metosulam [CAS RN 139528-85-1] (=A3-5);

pyroxsulam [CAS RN 422556-08-9] (=A3-7);

imazamox [CAS RN 114311-32-9] (=B1-2);

imazapic [CAS RN 104098-48-8] (=B1-3);

imazapyr [CAS RN 81334-34-1] (=B1-4);

imazaquin [CAS RN 81335-37-7] (=B1-5); and

imazethapyr [CAS RN 81335-77-5] (=B1-6),

wherein the B. vulgaris plant has a mutation in the endogenous acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene of SEQ ID NO:1, thereby encoding an ALS protein containing leucine at position 569 of SEQ ID NO:2, and wherein this mutation is the only mutation in the ALS protein that confers resistance to the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicides from step (b).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is selected from the group consisting of:

amidosulfuron [CAS RN 120923-37-7] (=A1-1);

foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13);

iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium [CAS RN 144550-36-7] (=A1-16);

(A1-83) or its sodium salt (=A1-87);

thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3); and

imazamox [CAS RN 114311-32-9] (=B1-2).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is applied in combination with at least one non-ALS inhibitor herbicide, and wherein the non-ALS inhibitor herbicide is selected from the group consisting of:

chloridazon, clethodim, clodinafop, clodinafop-propargyl, clopyralid, cycloxydim, desmedipham, dimethenamid, dimethenamid-P, ethofumesate, fenoxaprop, fenoxaprop-P, fenoxaprop-ethyl, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl, fluazifop, fluazifop-P, fluazifop-butyl, fluazifop-P-butyl, glufosinate, glufosinate-ammonium, glufosinate-P, glufosinate-P-ammonium, glufosinate-P-sodium, glyphosate, glyphosate-isopropylammonium, haloxyfop, haloxyfop-P, haloxyfop-ethoxyethyl, haloxyfop-P-ethoxyethyl, haloxyfop-methyl, haloxyfop-P-methyl, lenacil, metamitron, phenmedipham, phenmedipham-ethyl, propaquizafop, quinmerac, quizalofop, quizalofop-ethyl, quizalofop-P, quizalofop-P-ethyl, quizalofop-P-tefuryl, and sethoxydim.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the non-ALS inhibitor herbicide is selected from the group consisting of:

desmedipham, ethofumesate, glufosinate, glufosinate-ammonium, glufosinate-P, glufosinate-P-ammonium, glufosinate-P-sodium, glyphosate, glyphosate-isopropylammonium, lenacil, metamitron, phenmedipham, and phenmedipham-ethyl.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,

comprising applying the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) alone or in combination with at least one herbicide that does not belong to the class of ALS inhibitor herbicides (non-ALS inhibitor herbicides),

wherein the application of the respective herbicides

(i) takes place jointly or simultaneously, or

(ii) takes place at different times and/or in a plurality of portions in pre-emergence application followed by post-emergence application or early post-emergence application followed by medium or late post-emergence application.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is a combination of foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13) and thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3), and are the only ALS inhibitor herbicides applied.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is a combination of Compound A1-87 and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium [CAS RN 144550-36-7] (=A1-16).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is selected from the group consisting of:

foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13), thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3), Compound A1-87 and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium [CAS RN 144550-36-7] (=A1-16), and are the only ALS inhibitor herbicides applied.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) are the only herbicides applied.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) are the only agrochemically active compounds applied.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein two ALS inhibitor herbicides are applied to the B. vulgaris growing area, and are the only ALS inhibitor herbicides applied.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein two ALS inhibitor herbicides are applied to the B. vulgaris growing area, and are the only herbicides applied.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein two ALS inhibitor herbicides are applied to the B. vulgaris growing area, and are the only agrochemically active compounds applied.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a combination of foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13) and thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3) are the only herbicides applied.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a combination of foramsulfuron [CAS RN 173159-57-4] (=A1-13) and thiencarbazone-methyl [CAS RN 317815-83-1] (=A2-3) are the only agrochemically active compounds applied.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is applied at an application rate of 1 g to 200 g a.i./ha.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more ALS inhibitor herbicide(s) is applied at an application rate of 7 g to 70 g a.i./ha.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mutation was obtained in a non-transgenic way.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mutation is homozygously present in the endogenous ALS gene.