Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.6, 265-273 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 271 thicker, the roots are more firmly planted, and the plant shape is more compact. It can still hold its ground in a dense planting environment, with no reduction in yield and a lower lodging rate. Especially in intensive planting systems, lodging has always been a major problem, often leading to reduced yields. However, if the genetic advantage of lodging resistance can be well combined with some effective agronomic measures, such as intercropping of short-stemmed varieties, adjusting row spacing, using plant growth regulators, or implementing some personalized nitrogen fertilizer management, both yield and stable yield can actually be achieved simultaneously. What's more interesting is that these strategies do not "clash" with each other; instead, they often complement each other, and the combined effect is much stronger than a single improvement. However, when it comes to preventing lodging, external management alone is not enough; it is necessary to truly understand how it occurs at the genetic level. Future research should focus more on the fundamental aspects of plants themselves, such as the content of lignin and cellulose in the stems, the distribution pattern of the root system, and how carbohydrates are actually allocated. These seemingly "behind-the-scenes" factors often determine whether the plants can withstand the wind and rain. Meanwhile, new tools such as remote sensing technology, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) field inspection, and high-throughput phenotypic analysis can now screen out germplasm resources with dominant traits more quickly and accurately. As for the work in the fields, such as precise nitrogen application, deep plowing, and canopy regulation, they remain an indispensable part of enhancing the system's resistance to lodging. Is there really only one choice between yield and lodging resistance? There is no standard answer to this balance problem at present. But precisely because of this, it is even more necessary for breeders and agronomists to work together to find solutions that can adapt to different environments and take both into account. In the next stage, when molecular markers, genomic selection, and even CRISPR and other editing tools are widely applied, it will become more realistic to stack alleles that add points to stem and root strength, compact plant type, and stress tolerance. Not to mention that smart agriculture is taking over, bringing sensors, drones and data analysis into the fields. Before a fall occurs, the system can detect it and respond in advance. By then, the integration of genetic improvement and digital technology may be a crucial step in promoting the full implementation of the anti-lodging system for densely planted corn, and it will also provide dual guarantees for food security and agricultural income. Acknowledgments We would like to express our gratitude to the reviewers for their valuable feedback, which helped improve the manuscript. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Cheng Y., Wei P., Chen D., Zheng Y., and Song B., 2025, Optimizing planting density and variety allocation synergistically to improve maize yield and resource utilization efficiency in different agroecological zones of southwest China, Annals of Applied Biology, 187(3): 330-334. https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12980 Gao J., Liu Z., Wang P., and Huang S., 2024, Drip irrigation coupled with appropriate N input increased maize (Zea mays L.) yield and lodging resistance via optimizing root and stem trait, European Journal of Agronomy, 160: 127298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2024.127298 Guo Y., Hu Y., Chen H., Yan P., Du Q., Wang Y., Wang H., Wang Z., Kang D., and Li W., 2021, Identification of traits and genes associated with lodging resistance in maize, Crop Journal, 9(6): 1478-1489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2021.01.002 Jin R., Li Z., Wang X., Liu F., Kong F., Liu Q., Lan T., Feng D., and Yuan J., 2023, Optimizing row spacing increases stalk lodging resistance by improving light distribution in dense maize populations, Agronomy, 13(2): 462. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020462 Lei R., Wang Y., Zhou J., and Xiang H., 2025, Tap maize yield productivity in China: a meta-analysis of agronomic measures and planting density optimization, Agronomy, 15(4): 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040861
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