Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T05:50:40.751Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparison of the anatomy and degradability of straw from varieties of wheat and barley that differ in susceptibility to lodging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. J. Travis ,
S. D. Murison ,
D. J. Hirst ,
K. C. Walker  and
A. Chesson
A. J. Travis
Affiliation:
Rowelt Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB, UK
S. D. Murison
Affiliation:
Rowelt Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB, UK
D. J. Hirst
Affiliation:
BioSS, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB, UK
K. C. Walker
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, 58I King Street, Aberdeen, AB9 IUD, UK
A. Chesson
Affiliation:
Rowelt Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The consequences of selection for shorter, stiffer-strawed varieties that are less susceptible to lodging on the degradability of forage and straw obtained from cereal crops were investigated with particular reference to the characteristics of the basal internode where the mechanical stress is likely to be greatest. Quantitative measurements of tissue area, mean cell wall thickness, cell wall density and cellsize were made on two wheat cultivars, Riband (strong) and Norman (weak), and on two barley cultivars, Blenheim (strong) and Tyne (weak). The cultivars were selected for comparison on the basis of their straw strength in field trials.

At growth stage (GS) 59 in wheat (ear emergence complete) the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content of the basal internode of Riband (74·6%) was lower than Norman (86·0%), and the NDF degradability (NDFD) of Riband (34·7%) was slightly greater than Norman (32·0%). No significant differences in lignin content were found between the wheat cultivars. In barley at the same growth stage, the NDF content of the basal internode of Blenheim (84·8%) was lower than Tyne (89·2%), and the NDFD of Blenheim (30·2%) was greater than Tyne (23·7%) but no significant differences in lignin content were associated with the difference in NDFD. At GS 32–37 (stem elongation) in barley the NDF content of the basal internode of Blenheim (81·5%) was also lower than Tyne (86·3%), but the NDFD of Blenheim (71·7%) was much greater than Tyne (42·8%). No significant differences in lignin content were associated with this large difference in NDFD.

The cultivars of wheat and barley less susceptible to lodging showed lower NDF content and higher in vitro degradability in the basal internode than the more susceptible cultivars. No evidence of differences in the extent of cross-linking by ether-bound ferulic acid was found in wheat, but stems of Blenheim barley showed evidence of a greater degree of cross-linking than in Tyne. The anatomical features of Norman wheat were consistent with stem weakness caused by thinner, smaller cells than the stronger Riband. However, in contrast, the anatomy of Tyne barley indicated that the straw may be too stiff, resulting in failure due to root lodging or brackling while the thinner more cross-linked cell walls of Blenheim may allow the stem to bend under load.

The relationship between the anatomical features, chemical composition and in vitro degradability of the stems was investigated using stepwise multiple regression. Thickness of sclerenchyma, thickness of epidermis and density of epidermis (area fraction of cell wall) were selected by the method of ‘backward elimination’ from an initial regression model to predict NDFD using all the anatomical features measured. Thickness of sclerenchyma was ranked first when the selected anatomical features were incorporated into a regression model with NDF and lignin content using the method of ‘forward selection’. Anatomical differences between varieties had an effect on degradability distinct from that due to the overall chemical composition. The results emphasise the contribution made by anatomical features to the stem degradability and lodging characteristics of cereals.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 127 , Issue 1 , August 1996 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Capper, B. S., Sage, G., Hanson, P. R. & Adamson, A. H. (1992). Influence of variety, row type and time of sowing on the morphology, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of barley straw. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 118, 165–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crook, M. J. & Ennos, A. R. (1994). Stem and root characteristics associated with lodging resistance in four winter wheat cultivars. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 123, 167–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowman, M. G. & Collins, F. C. (1982). The use of enzymes to predict the digestibility of animal feeds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 33, 689–696.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunn, G. J. & Briggs, K. G. (1989). Variation in culm anatomy among barley cultivars differing in lodging resistance. Canadian Journal of Botany 67, 1838–1843.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Easson, D. L., White, E. M. & Pickles, S. J. (1993). The effects of weather, seed rate and cultivar on lodging and yield in winter wheat. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 121, 145–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garnsworthy, P. C. & Stokes, D. T. (1993). The nutritive value of wheat and oat silages ensiled on three cutting dates. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 121, 233–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goering, H. K. & Van Soest, P. J. (1970). Forage Fibre Analyses. USDA ARS Agricultural Handbook No. 379.Google Scholar
Goto, M., Morita, O. & Chesson, A. (1991). Morphological and anatomical variations among barley cultivars influence straw degradability. Crop Science 31, 1536–1541.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, R. K. M. & Walker, A. J. (1989). An Introduction to the Physiology of Crop Yield. Harlow: Longman Scientific and Technical,Google Scholar
Lam, T. B. T., Iiyama, K. & Stone, B. A. (1992), Cinnamic acid bridges between cell wall polymers in wheat and phalaris internodes. Phytochemistry 31, 1179–1183.Google Scholar
Lam, T. B. T., Iiyama, K., Stone, B. A., Lee, J. A., Simpson, R. J. & Pearce, G. R. (1993). The relationship between in vitro enzymatic digestibility of cell walls of wheat internodes and compositional changes during maturation. Acta Botanica Neerlandica 42, 175–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lam, T. B. T., Iiyama, K. & Stone, B. A. (1994). An approach to the estimation of ferulic acid bridges in unfractionated cell walls of wheat internodes. Phytochemistry 37, 327–333.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust (1987). Genstat 5 Reference Manual. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
McManus, W. R. & Bigham, M. L. (1973). Studies on forage cell walls. I. Prediction of feed intake. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 80, 283–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milford, G. F. J., Penny, A., Prew, R. D., Darby, R. J. & Todd, A. D. (1993). Effects of previous crop, sowing date, and winter and spring applications of nitrogen on the growth, nitrogen uptake and yield of winter wheat, Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge, 121, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minson, D. J. & Wilson, J. R. (1994). Prediction of intake as an element of forage quality. In Forage Quality, Evaluation and Utilisation (Eds Fahey, G. C., Collins, M., Mertens, D. K. & Moser, L. E.), pp. 533–563. Madison: American Society of Agronomists.Google Scholar
Morrison, I. M. (1972). A semi-micro method for the determination of lignin and its use in predicting the digestibility of forage crops. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 23, 455–463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naylor, R. E. L., Stokes, D. T. & Matthews, S. (1987). Chemical manipulation of growth and development in winter barley production systems. Field Crop Abstracts 40, 276–289.Google Scholar
Provan, G. J., Scobbie, L. & Chesson, A. (1994). Determination of phenolic acids in plant cell walls by microwave digestion. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 64, 63–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riggs, T. J. (1984). Plant breeding – potential for improvement of yield and grain quality. In The Nitrogen Requirement of Cereals, Reference Book 385, pp. 5–18. London: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, HMSO.Google Scholar
Scottish Agricultural College (1992). Cereal Recommended List for Scotland 1992. Scottish Agricultural College, Aberdeen, UK.Google Scholar
Stone, M. (1974). Cross-validatory choice and assessment of statistical predictions (with discussion). Journal of the Royal Statistical Society B 36, 111–147.Google Scholar
Travis, A. J., Murison, S. D. & Chesson, A. (1993 a). Estimation of plant cell wall thickness and cell size by image skeletonization. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 120, 279–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Travis, A. J., Murison, S. D., Chesson, A. & Walker, K. C. (1993 b). Quantitative measurement of stem anatomy as an indicator of varietal performance. Aspects of Applied Biology 34, Physiology of Varieties, 335–343.Google Scholar
Wiseman, A. J. L., Finch, H. J. S. & Samuel, A. M. (1993). Lockhart & Wiseman's Crop Husbandry Including Grassland. Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Wright, D. & Hughes, L. G. (1989). The effects of site and variety on the in vitro digestibility of spring barley straw. Plant Varieties and Seeds 2, 117–124.Google Scholar
Zadoks, J. C., Chang, T. T. & Konzak, C. F. (1974). A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Research 14, 415–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar