The maize (Zea mays) stem is a biological structure that must balance both biotic and structural load bearing duties. These competing requirements are particularly relevant in the design of new bioenergy crops. Although increased stem digestibility is typically associated with a lower structural strength and higher propensity for lodging, with the right balance between structural and biological activities it may be possible to design crops that are high-yielding and have digestible biomass. This study investigates the hypothesis that geometric factors are much more influential in determining structural strength than tissue properties. To study these influences, both physical and in silico experiments were used. First, maize stems were tested in three-point bending. Specimen-specific finite element models were created based on x-ray computed tomography scans. Models were validated by comparison with experimental data. Sensitivity analyses were used to assess the influence of structural parameters such as geometric and material properties. As hypothesized, geometry was found to have a much stronger influence on structural stability than material properties. This information reinforces the notion that deficiencies in tissue strength could be offset by manipulation of stalk morphology, thus allowing the creation of stalks which are both resilient and digestible.
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Development and stochastic validation of a parameterized model of maize stalk flexure and buckling
Maize stalk lodging is the structural failure of the stalk prior to harvest and is a major problem for maize (corn) producers and plant breeders. To address this problem, it is critical to understand precisely how geometric and material parameters of the maize stalk influence stalk strength. Computational models could be a powerful tool in such investigations, but current methods of creating computational models are costly, time-consuming and, most importantly, do not provide parameterized control of the maize stalk parameters. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a parameterized 3D model of the maize stalk. The parameterized model provides independent control over all aspects of the maize stalk geometry and material properties. The model accurately captures the shape of actual maize stalks and is predictive of maize stalk stiffness and strength. The model was validated using stochastic sampling of material properties to account for uncertainty in the values and influence of mechanical tissue properties. Results indicated that buckling is influenced by material properties to a greater extent that flexural stiffness. Finally, we demonstrate that this model can be used to create an unlimited number of synthetic stalks from within the parameter space. This model will enable the future implementation of parameter sweep studies, sensitivity analysis and optimization studies, and can be used to create computational models of maize stalks with any desired combination of geometric and material properties.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 2046669
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10458656
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- in silico Plants
- Volume:
- 5
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2517-5025
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Background Stalk lodging (breaking of agricultural plant stalks prior to harvest) is a multi-billion dollar a year problem. Stalk lodging occurs when high winds induce bending moments in the stalk which exceed the bending strength of the plant. Previous biomechanical models of plant stalks have investigated the effect of cross-sectional morphology on stalk lodging resistance (e.g., diameter and rind thickness). However, it is unclear if the location of stalk failure along the length of stem is determined by morphological or compositional factors. It is also unclear if the crops are structurally optimized, i.e., if the plants allocate structural biomass to create uniform and minimal bending stresses in the plant tissues. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to investigate the relationship between bending stress and failure location of maize stalks, and (2) to investigate the potential of phenotyping for internode-level bending stresses to assess lodging resistance.
Results 868 maize specimens representing 16 maize hybrids were successfully tested in bending to failure. Internode morphology was measured, and bending stresses were calculated. It was found that bending stress is highly and positively associated with failure location. A user-friendly computational tool is presented to help plant breeders in phenotyping for internode-level bending stress. Phenotyping for internode-level bending stresses could potentially be used to breed for more biomechanically optimal stalks that are resistant to stalk lodging.
Conclusions Internode-level bending stress plays a potentially critical role in the structural integrity of plant stems. Equations and tools provided herein enable researchers to account for this phenotype, which has the potential to increase the bending strength of plants without increasing overall structural biomass.
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Stalk lodging, or failure of the stalk structure, is a serious problem in the production of maize (corn). Addressing this problem requires an understanding of the parameters that influence lodging resistance. Computational modelling is a powerful tool for this purpose, but current modelling methods have limited throughput and do not provide the ability to modify individual geometric features. A parameterised model of the maize stalk has the potential to overcome these limitations. The purposes of this study were to (a) develop a parameterised model of the maize stalk cross-section that could accurately simulate the physical response of multiple loading cases, and (b) use this model to rigorously investigate the relationships between cross-sectional morphology and predictive model accuracy. Principal component analysis was utilised to reveal underlying geometric patterns which were used as parameters in a cross-sectional model. A series of approximated cross-sections was created that represented various levels of geometric fidelity. The true and approximated cross-sections were modelled in axial tension/compression, bending, transverse compression, and torsion. For each loading case, the predictive accuracy of each approximated model was calculated. A sensitivity study was also performed to quantify the influence of individual parameters. The simplest model, an elliptical cross-section consisting of just three parameters: major diameter, minor diameter, and rind thickness, accurately predicted the structural stiffness of all four loading cases. The modelling approach used in this study model can be used to parameterise the maize cross-section to any desired level of geometric fidelity, and could be applied to other plant species.more » « less
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Abstract The leaf sheath of many plants has been observed to influence both stiffness and ultimate strength. For example, the sheath has been observed to be closely related to “greensnap” (or “brittle‐snap”) failure of
Zea mays . The goal of this study was to develop a method for assessing longitudinal and temporal patterns of sheath influence on flexural stiffness. This metric was chosen because it has been shown to be predictive of ultimate bending strength. A three‐point bending test method was developed for assessing the longitudinal and temporal influence of the sheath on flexural stiffness ofZea mays . Comparisons between pairs of tests at the same location (sheath present vs. absent) were performed. Four types of maize were tested. The sheath had a statistically significant influence on bending. Sheath influence appears to be closely related to maturity since both spatial and temporal patterns of influence mirror the sigmoidal maturation patterns previously observed in maize stalks. The paired nature of this method increases statistical significance and allows for multiple tests along the length of the stalk. Results indicate that the influence of the sheath changes over the life span of theZea mays in parallel with maturation patterns. However, further studies will be needed to confirm this hypothesis more broadly and to study additional issues such as heritability and the influence of genotype and environment on sheath effects. Due to the common architecture ofPoacea plants, this method can be used to provide new insights on sheath influences of various species. -
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Abstract Background Modern computational modeling could provide the key to obtaining new insights into the mechanisms of maize stalk failure as well as suggesting new ways to improve stalk strength. However, a complete set of mechanical properties of maize tissues is required to enable computational modeling of maize stems. This study developed two compression test methods for obtaining the longitudinal modulus of elasticity of both rind and pith tissues, assessed the influence of water content on tissue properties, and investigated the relationship between rind modulus and pith modulus. These methods involved uniform 5–7 cm segments of maize stems which were scanned using a flatbed scanner then tested in compression using a universal testing machine in both intact and dissected (rind-only and pith-only) states.
Results The modulus of elasticity of pith tissues was highest for fully turgid specimens and decreased as water was removed from the specimens. Water content was negatively correlated with the modulus of elasticity of the rind. Rind and pith tissues were found to be weakly correlated. The median ratio of rind modulus to pith modulus was found to be 17. Of the two methods investigated, the pith-only specimen preparation was found to be simple reliable while the rind-only method was found to be adversely affected by lateral bowing of the specimen.
Conclusions Researchers can use the information in this paper to improve computational models of maize stems in three ways: (1) by incorporating realistic values of the longitudinal modulus of elasticity of pith and rind tissues; (2) by selecting pith and rind properties that match empirically observed ratios; and (3) by incorporating appropriate dependencies between these material properties and water content. From an experimental perspective, the intact/pith-only experimental method outlined in this paper is simpler than previously reported methods and provides reliable estimates of both pith and rind modulus of elasticity values. Further research using this measurement method is recommended to more clearly understand the influence of water content and turgor pressure on tissue properties.
