Lodging prevention in cereals: Morphological, biochemical, anatomical traits and their molecular mechanisms, management and breeding strategies

Lodging is a predominant phenomenon in crop production systems. It can cause significant economic and yield losses and hamper the process of agricultural mechanization. Agronomic management and the use of plant growth regulators have been successful in reducing lodging risk by reducing plant height and improving crop canopy, i.e. the aboveground portion of a crop. However, breeding remains the most effective way to improve resistance to lodging in crops. The use of semi-dwarf genes led to the Green Revolution in cereal crops, which greatly improved yield stability through increased lodging resistance. The potential negative impact of reducing plant height on biomass production leads to a greater emphasis on improving straw strength while maintaining relatively taller plants to ensure higher biomass production. In this review, we discuss various morphological, biochemical and anatomical traits that contribute to the increased lodging resistance of major cereal crops. We also summarize strategies to improve crop performances under lodging stress, including agronomic management and genetic improvement. We provide our views on major limitations and future directions for genetic improvement of crop lodging resistance. Apart from selecting a combination of genes for semi-dwarfism and root development, improving straw strength and plant canopy architecture while maintaining relatively taller plant can be very effective. This review provides valuable information to effectively explore the potential of increasing stem strength and root anchorage, thereby enhancing lodging resistance without sacrificing biomass production and grain yield.