
TY  - JOUR
A1  - McManus, WR 
A1  - Robinson, VNE 
A1  - Grout, LL 
T1  - The physical distribution of mineral material on forage plant cell walls
JF  - Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
JO  - Aust. J.  Agric. Res.
Y1  - 1977
VL  - 28
IS  - 4
SP  - 651
EP  - 662
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9770651 
N2  - Data are advanced to show that controlled ashing of plant cell wall material at 500&#176;C for 3 hr provides a convenient method of removing organic matter and permits visual study of mineral material within the plant structure. Evaluation of a range of mature tropical and temperate grass and legume forage species with the scanning electron microscope has shown the existence of a mineralized component over the cell walls. This component is distributed in sheets of thickness varying upwards from c. 0.1 &#181;m and is located on the outer surface of cell walls, possibly constituting a masking layer around digestible organic material of the cell wall. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis shows the major elements constituting this mineral layer to be phosphorus, calcium, sulphur and potassium. 
ER  -

