Description

The biomechanical strength of cultivars of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) that were either resistant or susceptible to feeding by redlegged earth mite was measured as the force required to penetrate their leaves with a small, tubular punch. Cotyledons and trifoliate leaves of cultivars resistant to redlegged earth mite had a higher resistance to penetration than cultivars susceptible to redlegged earth mite. Cotyledons needed a higher force to penetrate than trifoliate leaves. The possible implications for intake by ruminants of differences between the cultivars in biomechanical characters are also considered.

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Implications of Biomechanical Characters of Subterranean Clover on Feeding by Redlegged Earth Mite and Intake by Sheep

The biomechanical strength of cultivars of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) that were either resistant or susceptible to feeding by redlegged earth mite was measured as the force required to penetrate their leaves with a small, tubular punch. Cotyledons and trifoliate leaves of cultivars resistant to redlegged earth mite had a higher resistance to penetration than cultivars susceptible to redlegged earth mite. Cotyledons needed a higher force to penetrate than trifoliate leaves. The possible implications for intake by ruminants of differences between the cultivars in biomechanical characters are also considered.