Friability of Maize Shoot (Zea mays L.) in Relation to Cell Wall Composition and Physical Properties

Maize (Zea mays L.) is widely cultivated worldwide for food, feed, and fuel uses. forage has become a valuable feed material, there much interest in characterizing its friability, as friability may shape value through effect on ingestibility. The objective of this study was to characterize the maize based milling behavior within collection inbred lines maize. We proposed two indexes—Particle Size Reduction (PSR) Energy Index—and evaluated their ability discriminate 24 differing digestibility. Both PSR Index effectively highlighted variability which could vary by factor regardless index. These indexes are different technologies therefore mechanical stresses inside mills that both inform but scales. In order interpret observed differences, we characterized biomass at scales, from phenotypic observation shoot physical properties chopped maize, down cell wall amount composition. assessed these mainly inter-correlated: lower energy, more friable fine particles produced. However, also identified slight differences between be interpreted relation structural scale: while primarily informed cellular scale, scale. This provided key insight into fiber properties.