A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR EVALUATING ROOT LODGING RESISTANCE IN MAIZE

Because climatic conditions conducive to natural lodging of maize (Zea mays L.) are sporadic and unreliable, a need exists for methods of evaluating the resistance of genotypes to root lodging. A portable electronic device was built for horizontal pushing resistance measurements on individual plants. The apparatus simultaneously records the angle of inclination and the resistance torque of the plant during an artificial pushing test, The device consists of a support, a force sensor, an angle sensor, and a control head. Data logging is possible by using a microprocessor-based system. Data may be transferred: to a computer using an R5232 serial transfer protocol. The time required for the test in field conditions is approximately 1 min per plant, Preliminary results obtained on 14 maize genotypes grown in three field environments showed that genotypes susceptible to root lodging were characterized by low average values of their maximum resistance torque.