Personal profile
Biography
Stephen Powles is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Western Australia. His expertise is in crop science and production with speciality in herbicide resistance in plants. Prof Powles is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Science & Engineering. Prof Powles is a Web of Science Highly Cited author and has published more than 200 papers in international research journals.
Roles and responsibilities
Crops & chemicals. GM crops.
Evolution of herbicide resistance in plants.
Molecular basis of herbicide resistance.
Agronomic management of herbicide resistance.
Agricultural sustainability.
Crop science and crop productivity
Environmental stress and plant performance
Funding overview
Previous positions
Director, Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative
Managing Director, Australian Weed Management CRC, Adelaide
Professor, University of Adelaide
Postdoc, University of Paris, Saclay, France
Postdoc, Stanford University, Carnegie Plant Biology, USA.
Current projects
Industrial relevance
National and international agrichemical industry
Genetically modified crops
Teaching overview
Research
Professor Powles has conducted and led research on many different aspects of herbicide resistance evolution.
Research extends from understanding the biochemical and molecular basis of resistance, elucidating the effect of resistance mutations on plant performance and simulation modelling, to agronomic research to manage resistance in cropping systems.
Languages
Research expertise keywords
- Crop science
- Weed science
- Agriculture
- Herbicide resistance
- Food production
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Allelic interactions defining Raphanus raphanistrum AHAS resistance level: strong vs weak target-site AHAS resistance alleles
Gil, M., Garcia, F., Breccia, G., Ochogavía, A. C., Nestares, G., Gundel, P. E., Han, H., Yu, Q., Powles, S. B. & Vila-Aiub, M., Feb 2025, In: Pest Management Science. 81, 2, p. 631-638 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Aldo-keto reductase may contribute to glyphosate resistance in Lolium rigidum
Zhou, F.-Y., Han, H., Han, Y.-J., Nyporko, A., Yu, Q., Beckie, H. J. J. & Powles, S. B. B., Apr 2023, In: Pest Management Science. 79, 4, p. 1528-1537 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access18 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Web of Science) -
Multiple metabolic enzymes can be involved in cross-resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides in wild radish
Lu, H., Liu, Y., Li, M., Han, H., Nyporko, A., Yu, Q., Qiang, S. & Powles, S., 21 Jun 2023, In: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 71, 24, p. 9302-9313 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
21 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
A dinitroaniline herbicide resistance mutation can be nearly lethal to plants
Wang, Y., Han, H., Chen, J., Yu, Q., Vila-Aiub, M., Beckie, H. J. & Powles, S. B., Apr 2022, In: Pest Management Science. 78, 4, p. 1547-1554 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Web of Science) -
A naturally evolved mutation (Ser59Gly) in glutamine synthetase confers glufosinate resistance in plants
Zhang, C., Yu, Q., Han, H., Yu, C., Nyporko, A., Tian, X., Beckie, H. & Powles, S., 5 Apr 2022, In: Journal of Experimental Botany. 73, 7, p. 2251-2262 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access43 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Datasets
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Transcriptome of multiple herbicide resistant and susceptible Lolium rigidum plants
Yu, Q. (Supervisor), Han, H. (Creator), Beffa, R. (Creator), Maiwald, F. (Creator) & Powles, S. (Supervisor), EMBL-EBI, 2020
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB34839
Dataset
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RNA-sequencing of glyphosate-resistant and susceptible Echinochloa colona plants
Yu, Q. (Supervisor), Pan, L. (Contributor), Han, H. (Contributor), Mao, L. (Creator), Fan, L. (Creator) & Powles, S. (Supervisor), National Genomic Data Center (NGDC), 2019
https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/search/?dbId=&q=PRJCA001826
Dataset
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Data from: Herbicide resistance-endowing ACCase gene mutations in hexaploid wild oat (Avena fatua): Insights into resistance evolution in a hexaploid species
Yu, Q. (Creator), Ahmad Hamdani, M. S. (Creator), Han, H. (Creator), Christoffers, M. J. (Creator) & Powles, S. B. (Creator), DRYAD, 11 Aug 2012
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.04562, https://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.04562
Dataset
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Data from: Directional selection for flowering time leads to adaptive evolution in Raphanus raphanistrum (Wild radish)
Ashworth, M. B. (Contributor), Walsh, M. J. (Contributor), Flower, K. C. (Contributor), Vila-Aiub, M. M. (Contributor) & Powles, S. B. (Contributor), DRYAD, 7 Dec 2015
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.3j380, http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.3j380 and one more link, https://zenodo.org/record/4962210 (show fewer)
Dataset
Projects
- 48 Finished
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Does plasma membrane perception of 2,4-D influence auxin resistance?
Powles, S. (Investigator 01), Goggin, D. (Investigator 02) & Sayer, C. (Investigator 03)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/02/21 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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A 'focus farms' study to optimize weed resistance management practices in Western Australia
Busi, R. (Investigator 01), Powles, S. (Investigator 02), Beckie, H. (Investigator 03), Mayer, L. (Investigator 04), Owen, M. (Investigator 05), Newman, P. (Investigator 06), Whisson, B. (Investigator 07), Knell, G. (Investigator 08) & Fosbery, G. (Investigator 09)
Grains Research & Development Corporation
1/01/19 → 31/12/20
Project: Research
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Elucidating trifluralin resistance in Australian major weed Lolium rigidum
Powles, S. (Investigator 01), Yu, Q. (Investigator 02) & Sayer, C. (Investigator 03)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/07/18 → 30/06/21
Project: Research
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Elucidating trifluralin resistance in Australian major weed Lolium rigidum
Powles, S. (Chief Investigator), Yu, Q. (Chief Investigator) & Sayer, C. (Chief Investigator)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/01/18 → 31/12/20
Project: Research
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Infrastructure Grants -2017 - Crop and Weed Agronomy Laboratory
Powles, S. (Investigator 01), Flower, K. (Investigator 02) & Ashworth, M. (Investigator 03)
Grains Research & Development Corporation
31/07/17 → 31/05/18
Project: Research