The Crop Clamp – A non-destructive electromechanical pinch test to evaluate stalk lodging resistance

Abstract

Given the ever-increasing world population, maize plays a pivotal role in global food security. A major obstacle facing farmers is stalk lodging (the breakage of the stalk before harvest), which leads to substantial losses in annual yields. Weather, disease, and pest damage are major contributors to stalk lodging. Traditionally, evaluating a stalk's tendency to lodge was achieved with a 'pinch' test: pinching the stalk by hand to estimate its transverse stiffness. This test is inherently qualitative, and results vary from person to person. To combat these problems, a portable, battery-operated, non-destructive device for precisely measuring the transverse stiffness of maize stalks, known as the Crop Clamp, has been developed. The device is capable of recording over 100 measurements per hour and has been validated against laboratory tests.