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Histological Examination of Fresh Forage Leaves After in vitro Digestion 1
Author(s) -
Hanna W. W.,
Monson W. G.,
Burton G. W.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1973.0011183x001300010031x
Subject(s) - biology , cynodon dactylon , lolium multiflorum , pennisetum , poaceae , secale , paspalum , botany , lolium , vascular bundle , agronomy , xylem , dactylis glomerata , forage , avena , cenchrus ciliaris , cynodon
All anatomical components except the cuticle, trichomes, xylem, fibers, and bundle sheaths were digested after in vitro leaf digestion of Avena sativa L., Secale cereale L., Lolium multiflorum Lam., Poa pratensis L., Dactylis glomerata L., and Festuca elatior L. for 24 hours; Pennisetum typhoides (Burm.) Stapf and C. E. Hubb. for 48 hours; and Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. for 96 hours. Some breakdown of the bundle sheath in bermudagrass occurred. The outer thin‐walled parenchymatic bundle sheath but not the inner sheath of the cool‐season grasses was digested. The larger cells, less compact arrangement, and larger intercellular spaces of the mesophyll of cool‐season grasses as compared to bermudagrass or pearl millet appeared to allow the microorganism to be in contact with a larger surface area in a given time. These mesophyll characteristics may explain why the rate of digestion was faster in the cool‐season grasses than in pearl millet and bermudagrass. Observations on the arrangement of mesophyll in ‘Tift 18’ and ‘Tift 23’ pearl millet and on the patterns of digestion would indicate that digestibility could be increased by breeding for certain cell arrangements.