Peduncle breaking resistance: a potential selection criterion to improve lodging tolerance in oat

Breeding for tolerance to lodging is an objective, but also a challenge, in oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding programs. A widely adopted method to assess breeding lines for tolerance to lodging is based on visual scoring of plant standability (1 = standing upright; 9 = completely lodged). The lack of sufficient lodging pressure due to weather or growing conditions often renders the visual scoring method ineffective. We present an alternative...