Publication Date

1993

Description

Sixty plants each of 2 lines of perennial ryegrass (lolium perenne L.) selected for low (LS) or high (HS) leaf shear breaking load were grown in a controlled environment. Transverse sections of 22 plants were taken to measure cross-sectional area (CSA) and proportions of sclerenchyma. LS leaves had significantly (P<0.001) lower lengths (258 v. 316 mm), widths (3.4 v. 4.0 mm), dry weights (32 v, 48 mg) and shear breaking loads (338 v. 574 g/leaO. CSA, estimated from the relationship CSA (mm2) = 0.265 width (mm) -0.239 (r2=0.86), was also significantly (P<0,001) lower for LS (0.68 v. 0.85 mm1), Leaf shear strengths per unit CSA were calculated as 501 (LS) and 690 (HS) g/mm1 (P<0.001). Sclerenchyma formed a significantly (P<0.01) lower proportion of LS than HS leaves (2,9 v. 6.1% of CSA). The cumulative force required to reduce particle sizes to 1 mm can be expressed as an Inde11 of Masticatory Load (IML) IML values were 2.84(LS) and 3.9l(HS) kg/mg DM (P<0,001), suggesting rates of passage from the rumen might be greater for LS leaves.

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Physical Resistance, Structure and Morphology of Perennial Ryegrass Leaves

Sixty plants each of 2 lines of perennial ryegrass (lolium perenne L.) selected for low (LS) or high (HS) leaf shear breaking load were grown in a controlled environment. Transverse sections of 22 plants were taken to measure cross-sectional area (CSA) and proportions of sclerenchyma. LS leaves had significantly (P<0.001) lower lengths (258 v. 316 mm), widths (3.4 v. 4.0 mm), dry weights (32 v, 48 mg) and shear breaking loads (338 v. 574 g/leaO. CSA, estimated from the relationship CSA (mm2) = 0.265 width (mm) -0.239 (r2=0.86), was also significantly (P<0,001) lower for LS (0.68 v. 0.85 mm1), Leaf shear strengths per unit CSA were calculated as 501 (LS) and 690 (HS) g/mm1 (P<0.001). Sclerenchyma formed a significantly (P<0.01) lower proportion of LS than HS leaves (2,9 v. 6.1% of CSA). The cumulative force required to reduce particle sizes to 1 mm can be expressed as an Inde11 of Masticatory Load (IML) IML values were 2.84(LS) and 3.9l(HS) kg/mg DM (P<0,001), suggesting rates of passage from the rumen might be greater for LS leaves.