Year: 1989
Type: article
Abstract: Grass culms are known to differ in breaking strength, but there is little physicochemical data to explain the response. The fourth internode of four brittle and two nonbrittle barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) strains were used for physical and chemical studies of culm strength. Inner and outer culm diameters of brittle strains (3.6 +/- 0.2 and 5.0 +/- 0.1 millimeters) were not significantly different from those of nonbrittle strains (3.9 +/- 0.2 and 5.2 +/- 0.2 millimeters). Maximum bending stress, at which the culm was broken, was 192 +/- 34 g/mm(2) for brittle and 490 +/- 38 g/mm(2) for nonbrittle strains. Wall thickness and cell dimensions of epidermal, sclerenchyma, and parenchyma cells were measured in culm cross sections. The area of cell wall per unit cell area for each tissue was significantly correlated with the maximum bending stress (r = 0.93 for epidermis, 0.90 for sclerenchyma, and 0.84 for parenchyma). Cell walls of brittle culms had 6 to 64% as much cellulose content as those of nonbrittle culms. Maximum bending stress correlated significantly with cellulose content of the cell walls (r = 0.93), but not with the contents of noncellulosic compounds. The lower cellulose content of the brittle culm was significantly correlated with brittleness.
Source: PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
DOI: 10.1104/pp.91.3.876
Authors: Akira Kokubo, Susumu Kuraishi, Naoki Sakurai
Institutions: Hiroshima University, Okayama University
Language: English
Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
Award: 栽培植物における生理特性の解析と制御
OpenAlex ID: W2135807162