ERI: a systematic engineering approach to understanding how mechanical stimuli shape plant growth and lodging resistance

The National Science Foundation Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation awarded Fairleigh Dickinson University $199,844 on June 1, 2026, under the Engineering Research Initiation program (CFDA 47.041) to conduct systematic research on how mechanical stimuli shape plant growth and lodging resistance.

The research applies engineering principles derived from bone adaptation literature to investigate thigmomorphogenesis—the plant equivalent of skeletal remodeling—across monocot (Setaria italica) and dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) species. Using a custom robotic platform, researchers will apply precise mechanical exercise to plant stems and test four primary biomechanical rules: load speed, magnitude, dose-dependency, and acclimation. High-throughput phenotyping and multi-scale finite element models will isolate how mechanical stimuli drive structural growth and material properties. The work aims to establish quantitative, mechanistically predictive tools for plant adaptation to address stalk lodging, which reduces global agricultural yields by 5 to 20 percent annually, and to improve crop resilience against climate volatility.

Performance occurs in Teaneck, New Jersey, with a period of performance through May 31, 2028.

Abstract

This engineering research initiation (ERI) award supports a research and education program addressing stalk lodging, which currently reduces global agricultural yields by 5 to 20 percent annually. While animal bones adapt to physical stress through well-understood rules of remodeling, the equivalent process in plants, known as thigmomorphogenesis, remains a significant scientific blind spot. This research leverages five decades of bone adaptation literature to systematically investigate whether plants follow similar threshold and saturation curves in response to mechanical loading. The study specifically investigates four primary rules derived from bone remodeling (load speed, magnitude, dose-dependency, and acclimation) to determine their functional role in plant structural development. By utilizing both monocot (setaria italica) and dicot (arabidopsis thaliana) species, the researchers will explore how universal these biomechanical responses are across evolutionarily divergent plant lineages. This systematic approach is designed to transform qualitative observations into a rigorous engineering framework, ultimately providing the data necessary to improve crop resilience against intensifying climate volatility. Utilizing a custom robotic platform, the research will apply precise mechanical exercise to plant stems. By integrating high-throughput phenotyping with predictive multi-scale finite element models, the study will specifically isolate how mechanical stimuli structural growth and material properties. This work aims to advance the fields of biomechanics and mechanobiology by introducing a unified, engineering-driven framework for plant morphogenesis that has historically relied on qualitative observations. By establishing quantitative rules for plant adaptation, this research creates mechanistically predictive tools that link environmental stimuli directly to physical phenotypes, a novel approach that bridges the GAP between biological signaling and structural engineering. This project aligns with NSF priorities by catalyzing transformative research at a primarily undergraduate institution. Furthermore, IT supports the NSF goal of enhancing national food security by providing the fundamental knowledge necessary to engineer crops capable of withstanding increasingly volatile weather patterns. Through the technical enrichment and outreach program, the project also extends its impact to high school students, fostering the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists in engineering and agriculture. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.