Relationship of stalk morphology and chemical composition to lodging resistance in maize (Zea mays L.) in a rainforest zone

Abstract

SummaryField and laboratory studies were carried out in 1981 and 1982 to investigate the relationship of stalk morphology and chemical composition to lodging resistance in maize in the rainforest zone of Nigeria.Morphological characters correlated with lodging were plant height, diameter and length of basal internode, thickness of rind and weight of 5 cm basal section. Lodging was negatively correlated with grain yield, and with the percentages of total nonstructural carbohydrate, protein and potassium in the stalks. Premature stalk senescence and rot were common in varieties susceptible to lodging. Lodging had no relationship with leaf area and number of days from sowing to flowering.