Delayed sowing can increase lodging resistance while maintaining grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in winter wheat

Lodging resistance of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be increased by late sowing. However, whether grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) can be maintained with delayed sowing remains unknown. During the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 growing seasons, two winter wheat cultivars were sown on three dates (early sowing on October 1, normal sowing on October 8, and late sowing on October 15) to investigate the responses of lodging resistance, grain yield, and NUE to sowing date. No significant differences in lodging resistance, grain yield, or NUE between early and normal sowing were observed. Averaging over the two cultivars and years, postponing the sowing date significantly increased lodging resistance by 53.6% and 49.6% compared with that following early and normal sowing, respectively. Lodging resistance was improved mainly through a reduction in the culm height at the center of gravity and an increase in the tensile strength of the base internode. Late sowing resulted in similar grain yield as well as kernel weight and number of kernels per square meter, compared to early and normal sowing. Averaging over the two cultivars and years, delayed sowing resulted in a reduction in nitrogen uptake efficiency (UPE) by 11.0% and 9.9% compared to early and normal sowing, respectively, owing to reduced root length density and dry matter accumulation before anthesis. An average increase in nitrogen utilization efficiency (UTE) of 12.9% and 11.2% compared to early and normal sowing, respectively, was observed with late sowing owing to a reduction in the grain nitrogen concentration. The increase in UTE offset the reduction in UPE, resulting in equal NUEs among all sowing dates. Thus, sowing later than normal could increase lodging resistance while maintaining grain yield and NUE.