What is Lodging resistance?
Maize shows two kinds of lodging. Root lodging is when the plant leans over from the root zone, typically with strong winds on wet soils. Stalk lodging is when the stalk breaks between nodes, usually as the stalk weakens towards maturity.
Strong stalks and roots, resistance to stalk rot and stay-green through maturity all support lodging resistance. Sowing denser than recommended can increase the risk.
Why does it matter when choosing seed?
Lodged crops are harder to harvest by machine, and ears touching the ground can mean yield losses and lower quality. Lodging resistance is especially important in grain crops that will be harvested late.
CasSeed varieties related to this topic
The relevant characteristics are listed on each variety’s technical sheet.
FAO 700 · CRM 120 · Grain and silage maize seed
A late-maturity grain hybrid with fast dry-down and outstanding standability.
FAO 700 · CRM 118 · Grain and silage maize seed
A flinty red-grained hybrid with high protein and complete tip fill.
FAO 700 · CRM 120 · Grain and silage maize seed
A widely adapted grain hybrid with high test weight, suited to wider spacing.
FAO 700 · CRM 118 · Grain and silage maize seed
Complete tip fill, high test weight and a hybrid that rewards denser planting.
FAO 650 · CRM 117 · Grain and silage maize seed
Broad ears and a strong stalk — a mid-late hybrid for both grain and silage.
Related terms
Stay-green
Stay-green is a plant’s ability to keep its leaves and stalk green and photosynthetically active for longer during grain fill and maturity.
Plant spacing
Plant spacing shows how far apart seeds are sown within the row and how far apart the rows are; for maize it is given in centimetres as in-row and between-row distance.
Dry-down
Dry-down is the rate at which maize kernels lose moisture in the field after physiological maturity.