Publication Date
1993
Description
The shear strength of leaves of pasture grasses was measured using a shearing device. The mechanics of shearing were investigated and leaf strength was measured either as the force or the energy required to shear a leaf. The investigations indicate that the inherent strength of leaf tissue is best measured as a force corrected for the length of cutting blade in contact with the leaf. Inherent shear strength did not change along the length of a leaf blade, but did change with the physiological age of the leaf. Variation in shear strength within a population of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) was assessed. When grown in the same conditions, the strength of plants originating from different sites across southern Australia was significantly different.
Citation
Henry, D A.; Macmillan, R H.; Roberts, F M.; and Simpson, R J., "Assessment of the Variation in Shear Strength of Leaves of Pasture Grasses" (2024). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 28.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session14/28
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Assessment of the Variation in Shear Strength of Leaves of Pasture Grasses
The shear strength of leaves of pasture grasses was measured using a shearing device. The mechanics of shearing were investigated and leaf strength was measured either as the force or the energy required to shear a leaf. The investigations indicate that the inherent strength of leaf tissue is best measured as a force corrected for the length of cutting blade in contact with the leaf. Inherent shear strength did not change along the length of a leaf blade, but did change with the physiological age of the leaf. Variation in shear strength within a population of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) was assessed. When grown in the same conditions, the strength of plants originating from different sites across southern Australia was significantly different.
