A tensilmeter for the measurement of the tensile strength of grass leaf blades

Abstract

The design and construction of a simple and inexpensive tensilmeter for measuring the tensile properties of grass leaves is described. The instrument was found to give reliable results and was used to estimate the variation in the breaking force and breaking tension along the length of leaf blades of six grass species. While the pattern varies amongst the grasses tested there was a general tendency for both leaf strength and leaf tissue strength to increase from the tip to the base of the blade of all six species.

Keywords: grass species|grasses|leaf tissues|selective grazing|tensilmeters (ill)|breaking forces|apparatus|breaking tensions|patterns|leaf lengths|instruments (ill)|designs|grass leaves|tensile strengths|measurements|leaf blades