** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** STALK LODGING (PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT OF PLANTS FROM THEIR VERTICAL ORIENTATION) SEVERELY REDUCES AGRONOMIC YIELDS OF SEVERAL VITAL CROP SPECIES INCLUDING MAIZE. YIELD LOSSES DUE TO STALK LODGING ARE ESTIMATED TO RANGE FROM 5-20% ANNUALLY. THREE FUNDAMENTAL INADEQUACIES PREVENT THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY FROM FULLY ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF STALK LODGING. FIRST, ENGINEERS AND METROLOGY EXPERTS HAVE NOT ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATED BEST PRACTICES FOR ACQUIRING BIOMECHANICAL PHENOTYPES TO PLANT SCIENCE RESEARCHERS. SECOND, IT'S UNCLEAR WHICH OF THE MANY HUNDREDS OF INTERMEDIATE COMPONENT PHENOTYPES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO STALK LODGING ARE ULTIMATELY THE MOST PREDICTIVE OF LODGING RESISTANCE. THIRD, MANY ECONOMICALLY VIABLE (I.E., LOW COST AND HIGH THROUGHPUT) DEVICES FOR QUANTIFYING PHENOTYPES RELATED TO STALK LODGING HAVE YET TO BE DEVELOPED. THE PROPOSED WORK WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS EACH OF THESE GAPS IN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE.1) IT WILL INCLUDE AHANDBOOK OF PLANT BIOMECHANICS THAT WILL MAKEGUIDELINES FOR ACQUIRING BIOMECHANICAL MEASUREMENTS OF PLANTSACCESSIBLE FOR PLANT SCIENTISTS WHO DO NOT HAVE A BACKGROUND IN METROLOGY OR ENGINEERING. MAKING TESTING PROCEDURES AND COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED PITFALLS MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PLANT SCIENCE COMMUNITY WILL ENABLE INCREASED ACCURACY, REPRODUCIBILITY, AND META-ANALYSIS OF BIOMECHANICAL PLANT DATA IN THE FUTURE.2) A STATISTICAL MODEL WILL BE DEVLOPED THAT WILL ENABLE US TO DETERMINE WHICH PLANT TRAITS MOST EFFICIENTLY PREDICT STALK BENDING STRENGTH AND STALK LODGING RESISTANCE.3) A ELECTRICAL-MECHANICAL DEVICE WILL BE IMPROVEDTHAT WILL MEASURE THE STIFFNESS OF A STALK ALONG THE LENGTH, WHICH IS HIGHLY PREDICTIVE OF STALK BENDING STRENGTH AND STALK INTEGRITY. THESE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE: IMPROVING DEVICE ERGONOMICS WITH THE END GOAL OF ONE HAND USE, REDUCTION IN SIZE AND WEIGHT, INCREASED SAFETY STOPS TO PREVENT PINCHING OF THE USERS HAND OR FINGER, REDESIGN OF ELECTRONICS PACKAGE TO INCREASE RELIABILITY, QUALITY CONTROL AND REPEATABILITY OF MEASUREMENTS ETC.