Influence of growth temperature on anatomy and<i>in vitro</i>digestibility of maize tissues

Abstract

SUMMARY Tissues of maize grown under different temperature regimes showed remarkable differences in anatomical and chemical properties and in vitro digestibility. A high temperature regime (12 h at 30 °C and 12 h at 24 °C) resulted in decreased cell wall thickness, cell diameter and cell wall yield, doubled lignin content and decreased in vitro digestibility, compared with plants grown under a low temperature regime (12 h at 18 °C and 12 h at 12 °C). A reduction in intensity of staining for lignin was observed in plants grown at 30/24 °C. Cell wall digestibility was thought to be limited by an indigestible cell wall layer between the secondary walls of adjacent cells. The use of lignin staining was of limited value for predicting cell wall digestibility. High temperatures probably affect physiological processes leading to lignin formation and deposition.