Stem and root characteristics associated with lodging resistance in four winter wheat cultivars

Abstract

S U M M A R YThe effects of root and shoot characteristics on the lodging resistance of four cultivars of winter wheat were investigated by combining results from a field trial (set up at Manchester University's Experimental Grounds, Jodrell Bank, in mid-September 1991) with morphological and mechanical measurements on their stems and anchorage systems. Cultivars showed contrasting lodging resistance: Widgeon was most susceptible, followed by Galahad, Riband and Hereward which, alone, did not lodge. Lodging resistance was not related to the strength and stiffness of the stems, which were usually adequate to withstand the forces to which they were subjected. Most plants instead failed in their root system which rotated through the soil. Resistance was associated with short and light stems (and hence on the force applied to the plants by wind and gravity) and with high values of the anchorage strength of the root system (and hence on the force resisting lodging). Lodging occurred during grain filling when the ears were heaviest and when the soil was wet. The anchorage strength of a plant depended on two characteristics of the root system: the bending strength and the angle of spread of the basal coronal roots. Plants with stronger, more widely spread coronal roots produced larger soil cones during anchorage failure and resisted larger forces. Future breeding for lodging resistance, therefore, should continue to select for plants with shorter stems and with stiffer, more widely spread, coronal roots.

Plant growth regulators to manipulate oat stands

“…The major factor associated with lodging sensitivity is stem length (Pinthus 1973, Crook and Ennos 1994, Berry et al 2000. Lodging is often associated with quantity and quality losses in grain yield and evidently increased harvesting and drying expenses (Pinthus 1973).…”

“…To shorten the stem, PGRs are applied either at early stem elongation phases (CCC) or at more advanced growth stages, booting stage at latest (ethephon, mepiquat chloride, trinexapacethyl) (Luckwill 1981, Rademacher et al 1992, Rademacher 2000. Plant height reduction is associated with the reduced elongation of internodes (Stanca et al 1979, Crook and Ennos 1994, Sanvicente et al 1999. The uppermost internodes and peduncle in particular are shortened, resulting in reduced shoot leverage and hence reduced lodging susceptibility (Berry et al 2000).…”

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Planting Density on the Lignin Synthesis in the Culm in Relation to Lodging Resistance of Buckwheat

“…Buckwheat grains are an important source of macroelements such as K, Ca, Mg, and Na as well as microelements such as Mn, Zn, Se, and Cu (Wei et al, 2003), and they contain rutin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, thiamine, lysine, methionine, arginine, and threonine (Fabjan et al, 2003). The starch of buckwheat includes numerous compounds that have been identified to have beneficial effects on human health, including lowering both blood lipid and sugar levels (MendlerDrienyovszki et al, 2013).Lodging, the permanent displacement of stems from an upright position due to internal and external factors (Pinthus, 1973), is an important constraint limiting crop yields and quality (Crook and Ennos, 1994). Severe lodging destroys plant morphology, resulting in the reduction of photosynthetic ability, grain yield, grain filling, and harvesting efficiency (Berry and Spink, 2012).…”

“…Lodging, the permanent displacement of stems from an upright position due to internal and external factors (Pinthus, 1973), is an important constraint limiting crop yields and quality (Crook and Ennos, 1994). Severe lodging destroys plant morphology, resulting in the reduction of photosynthetic ability, grain yield, grain filling, and harvesting efficiency (Berry and Spink, 2012).…”

Effects of Mechanical Stress and Plant Density on Mechanical Characteristics, Growth, and Lifetime Reproduction of Tobacco Plants

“…Taller plants are generally subjected to greater mechanical stress because wind speeds increase with height above the ground surface (Goudriaan 1977) and because the bending moments generated by a given wind force or by the plants' own weight are greater. When plants are exposed to mechanical stimuli, such as wind, touching, or rubbing, they typically produce shorter and thicker stems (Biro et al 1980;Telewski 1990;Jaffe and Forbes 1993;Henry and Thomas 2002) and allocate relatively more mass to roots (Crook and Ennos 1994;Niklas 1998;Henry and Thomas 2002). These responses, collectively known as thigmomorphogenesis (Jaffe 1973;"thigmo" hereafter) increase the resistance of plants to mechanical failure (Niklas 1992) and seem to be in the opposite direction to shade avoidance.…”