Effects of uniconazole or ethephon foliar application on culm mechanical strength and lignin metabolism, and their relationship with lodging resistance in winter wheat
Irshad Ahmad
A B C D , Muhammad Kamran A B , Ziyan Guo A B , Xiangping Meng A B , Shahzad Ali A B , Peng Zhang A B , Tiening Liu A B , Tie Cai A B and Qingfang Han A B D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Key Laboratory of Crop Physio-ecology and Tillage Science in North-western Loess Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
B Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
C College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
D Corresponding authors. Email: irshad88@aup.edu.pk; hanqf88@nwafu.edu.cn
Crop and Pasture Science 71(1) 12-22 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP19149
Submitted: 10 April 2019 Accepted: 26 October 2019 Published: 17 January 2020
Abstract
Lodging in plants is an important constraint that leads to yield losses and cause problems with mechanical harvesting. This research was aimed at determining the effects of foliar application of uniconazole or ethephon on lignin metabolism, characteristics of second basal internode and their relationship with lodging resistance in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In separate experiments, uniconazole was sprayed on the foliage at concentrations of 0, 15, 30 and 45 mg L–1, and ethephon at concentrations of 0, 50, 75 and 100 mg L–1 at the four-leaf stage. Foliar application of uniconazole or ethephon significantly reduced the lodging rate by increasing the lignin content and optimising basal-internode characteristics. Lignin content was significantly positively correlated with breaking strength, and negatively correlated with lodging rate, whereby the higher lignin content in the second basal internode significantly improved the lodging resistance and reduced the lodging rate in the wheat crop. Foliar application of uniconazole or ethephon also increased the breaking strength, internode diameter, wall thickness and internode plumpness of the second basal internode; maximum values were obtained with uniconazole at 30 mg L–1 and with ethephon at 75 mg L–1. Grain yield, lignin content and lignin-related enzyme activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and peroxidase were all significantly improved with the foliar application of uniconazole or ethephon. These results suggest that lignin content in the second basal internode in wheat was closely related with lodging resistance. Foliar application of uniconazole or ethephon at the four-leaf stage reduced the lodging rate, and the concentration showing the greatest effects was 30 mg L–1 for uniconazole or 75 mg L–1 for ethephon.
Additional keywords: crop management, plant growth regulators, semi-arid regions.
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