Lodging in spring wheat –An overview

Abstract

Lodging can be a limiting factor for spring wheat production under irrigated and high input condition. It is a complex phenomenon as it interferes with water and nutrients uptake, reduces light interception, provides more conducive environment for foliar diseases, increases harvesting cost and decreases grain yield. It can be influenced by many factors like higher nitrogen application, growing of tolerant and susceptible varieties, application of growth retardants and sowing methods. The major changes were on morphological and chemicalcharacters of wheat culm, lodging behavior, yield and yield attributing characters. Shorter basal internodes, thicker diameter and stem wall thickness, fewer tillers per m2, higher cellulose and lignin content, application of growth retardant like ethephon and wheat sowing on beds are parameters related with higher lodging resistance.