Understanding the contribution of
stem cell wall components to
lodging is important in developing breeding programs aimed at reducing
lodging in cereal crops. This study is one of the first to investigate
the correlation between the amounts of cell wall-bound ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and lignin in the nodes and internodes
of cereals (oat, wheat, and barley) and their lodging susceptibility
during grain fill. All samples, except two-row barley, were susceptible
to lodging and expressed a significantly lower stalk strength. Lignin
and phenolic contents between nodes and internodes of all samples
were significantly different, with internodes having higher amounts
(5.5–7.0 and 10.9–16.2 μg/g p-coumaric acid, and 2.5–3.2 and 3.9–7.1 μg/g ferulic
acid in nodes and internodes, respectively). The acid-soluble lignin
content was different between nodes and internodes but not between
crops. This data set did not correlate with lodging classification,
possibly due to sample size and type.