Delayed sowing mitigates lodging in wheat. However, the mechanism underlying the enhanced lodging resistance in wheat has yet to be fully elucidated. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sowing date on lignin and cellulose metabolism, stem morphological characteristics, lodging resistance, and grain yield. Seeds of Tainong 18, a winter wheat variety, were sown on October 8 (normal sowing) and October 22 (late sowing) during both of the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons. The results showed that late sowing enhanced the lodging resistance of wheat by improving the biosynthesis and accumulation of lignin and cellulose. Under late sowing, the expression levels of key genes (TaPAL, TaCCR, TaCOMT, TaCAD, and TaCesA1, 3, 4, 7, and 8) and enzyme activities (TaPAL and TaCAD) related to lignin and cellulose biosynthesis peaked 4–12 days earlier, and except for the TaPAL, TaCCR, and TaCesA1 genes and TaPAL, in most cases they were significantly higher than under normal sowing. As a result, lignin and cellulose accumulated quickly during the stem elongation stage. The mean and maximum accumulation rates of lignin and cellulose increased, the maximum accumulation contents of lignin and cellulose were higher, and the cellulose accumulation duration was prolonged. Consequently, the lignin/cellulose ratio and lignin content were increased from 0 day and the cellulose content was increased from 11 days after jointing onward. Our main finding is that the improved biosynthesis and accumulation of lignin and cellulose were responsible for increasing the stem-filling degree, breaking strength, and lodging resistance. The major functional genes enhancing lodging resistance in wheat that are induced by delayed sowing need to be determined.

延迟播种可减轻小麦的倒伏。然而，小麦抗倒伏性增强的机制尚未完全阐明。进行田间试验以研究播期对木质素和纤维素代谢、茎形态特征、抗倒伏性和籽粒产量的影响。2015-2016 年和 2016-2017 年生长季，冬小麦品种台农 18 号的种子分别于 10 月 8 日（常播）和 10 月 22 日（晚播）播种。结果表明，晚播通过提高木质素和纤维素的生物合成和积累来增强小麦的抗倒伏能力。晚播下关键基因（TaPAL、TaCCR、TaCOMT、TaCAD ）的表达水平和TaCesA1、3、4、7和8 ）以及与木质素和纤维素生物合成相关的酶活性（ TaPAL和TaCAD）在4-12 天前达到峰值， TaPAL 、TaCCR和TaCesA1除外基因和 TaPAL，在大多数情况下，它们显着高于正常播种。结果，木质素和纤维素在茎伸长阶段迅速积累。木质素和纤维素的平均积累率和最大积累率增加，木质素和纤维素的最大积累量更高，纤维素积累持续时间延长。因此，木质素/纤维素比率和木质素含量从 0 天开始增加，纤维素含量从拔节后 11 天开始增加。我们的主要发现是，木质素和纤维素生物合成和积累的改善是提高茎灌浆度、断裂强度和抗倒伏性的原因。需要确定由延迟播种诱导的增强小麦抗倒伏性的主要功能基因。