Cross-sectional geometry predicts failure location in maize stalks
Christopher J Stubbs1,2, Christopher S McMahan3, Kaitlin Tabaracci1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
Plant Methods
|April 28, 2022
Summary
Stalk lodging in crops like maize is a major issue. This study found that bending stress strongly influences where stalks fail, offering a new way to breed stronger plants.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Biomechanical Engineering
- Plant Science
Background:
- Stalk lodging causes billions in agricultural losses annually.
- Previous models focused on stalk morphology, not failure location determinants.
- Optimization of structural biomass for uniform bending stress is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between bending stress and maize stalk failure location.
- Assess the potential of phenotyping internode-level bending stresses for lodging resistance.
Main Methods:
- Tested 868 maize specimens from 16 hybrids in bending to failure.
- Measured internode morphology and calculated bending stresses.
- Developed a computational tool for phenotyping bending stress.
Main Results:
- Bending stress is highly and positively associated with stalk failure location.
- A user-friendly tool aids plant breeders in phenotyping for internode-level bending stress.
- Phenotyping bending stress can help breed maize with improved lodging resistance.
Conclusions:
- Internode-level bending stress is critical for plant stem structural integrity.
- Provided equations and tools allow researchers to incorporate bending stress into analyses.
- This approach can enhance plant bending strength without increasing biomass.
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