Electrophoretic variations within four enzyme systems (a-esterase, acid phosphatase, malate dehydrogenase and leucine amino peptidase), were studied for various garden and field populations of Chenopodium album. A correlation was found between the degree of polymorphism for the electrophoretic traits and environmental conditions. The amount of phenotypic polymorphism is very high in gardens, intermediate in an untreated and, low in herbicide-treated fields and nil for a triazine resistant population in a maize {Zea mais L.) monoculture. Furthermore, the tetraploid versus hexaploid ratio is higher within garden populations. Higher variability in garden populations is due, in part, to a high proportion of polymorphic phenotypes, and in part to a low effect of selection pressure in such types of habitat. Although there is a difference between phenotypes of populations from acid soils and those from more basic ones, we cannot be sure that the variation of polymorphism is due only to selection. Conditions culturales et polymorphisme enzymatique chez Chenopodium album L.Des etudes concernant les variations electrophoretiques pouvant exister a I'interieur des 0043-I737/83/0600-0I4IS02.00

Intermediate (I) biotypes for triazine herbicide resistance in Chenopodium album (as defined by a peculiar fluorescence curve), had the same ID50 values as resistant(R) plants for chloroplast response to atrazine, but proved to be more susceptible at lower doses. Furthermore, the lethal dose in seedling treatments was lower than that of the R plants, but six times higher than for susceptible (S) plants. These I characteristics of I biotypes were maternally inherited in crosses. I biotypes were isolated from various progenies of susceptible precursor (Sp) plants in two garden populations. This could be the first step in the occurrence of triazine herbicide resistance. However, Sp plants have not been observed in field populations. The significance of the presence of a single isozyme pattern for all Sp plants is discussed. The results suggest an evolutionary pathway from S to R plants via I biotypes.

Hybridization of Brassica napus L. (oilseed rape) and Raphanus raphanistrum L. (wild radish) has been demonstrated, and may be the first step towards introgression of transgenes in this wild relative. If wild radish were to display a new adaptive advantage by expressing the transgene, this could modify the ecological balance of species within the agro-ecosystem. To determine if transgenes remained stable in the hybrid, the frequency of herbicide resistance was studied over four advanced generations of hybrid progeny (G8 to G11) that were subjected to herbicide selection pressure. It is expected that hemizygous resistant plants containing an herbicide resistance transgene back-crossed to wild radish would have 50% resistant progeny. In each of the G8 to G11 generations, only 18% of the progeny from resistant plants were resistant. The chromosome complement of herbicide-susceptible progenies, analyzed at G9, was not different from that of wild populations of wild radish. Herbicide-resistant G9 progeny showed higher chromosome instability, and one third of the progeny contained a supernumerary chromosome. These results suggest that in the presence of herbicide selection pressure, the transgene for herbicide resistance would be maintained despite a lack of stabilized introgression. In the absence of selection, the frequency of resistance in the population is expected to decline.