Effects of spraying cycocel and delaying nitrogen application on lodging resistance and yield formation of winter wheat.

We conducted a 3-year (2017-2020) field experiment in the wheat base of Jinzhong Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone, aiming to determine the measures of nitrogen topdressing and the regulatory effect of cycocel in spring to increase wheat yield. Four nitrogen topdressing dates were set up under the condition of cycocel spraying and control (CK) during the rising period: 10 days (D10), 20 days (D20), 30 days (D30), and 40 days (D40) after regreening stage, to analyze the impact of different N topdressing dates on winter wheat yield and the regulation effect of cycocel on stem characteristics, lignin content and related synthetase activities. The results showed that compared to other nitrogen topdressing dates, D30 increased spike number by 1.4%-5.2%, grain number per spike by 0.4%-12.0%, 1000-grain weight by 1.7%-9.4% and yield 8.8%-22.1% respectively. Compared to D10 and D20, D30 significantly improved the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) at 0-21 days and 35-42 days after the formation of the second section and increased that of tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) at 0-42 days after the formation of the second section, and increased the lignin content of stem, the internode quality, and the breaking resistance of stem, reduced plant height, and thereby improved the lodging resistance. However, D40 increased grain number per spike by 4.5%-10.1% and yield 0.04%-11.3%, but reduced the activities of PAL and TAL at 0-42 days after the formation of the second internode, reduced the lignin content, weakened the stem strength, and increased the risk of lodging. After spraying cycocel, plant height decreased significantly, the activities of PAL and TAL enhanced, the lignin content in internodes increased, the stem strength advanced, and reached a significant level under D30. Under the condition of nitrogen topdressing combined with cycocel spraying in spring, PAL and TAL activities were significantly positively correlated with lignin content. Lignin content was significantly positively correlated with stem breaking resistance. Stem breaking resistance was significantly positively correlated with lodging resistance index. Yield and its components were significantly posi-tively correlated with internode diameter, weight and breaking resistance, and significantly negatively correlated with plant height and internode length. Overall, nitrogen topdressing combined with spraying cycocel 30 days after regreening could promote the synthesis and accumulation of lignin, and improve stem plumpness, plant lodging resistance and yield.