MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY BY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF RUMEN DEGRADATION OF WHEAT STRAW TREATED WITH AMMONIA AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE

Ammonia and/or sulphur dioxide treated and untreated wheat leaf sheaths were compared for cell wall digestion by incubation with rumen liquor for 24 and 48 hours. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the relative rate and extent of cell wall digestion. Treated wheat straw leaf sheaths were distorted, with more distortion observed in ammonia and sulphur dioxide combined treatment than any other treatment. Rumen liquor digestion for 24 hours of untreated leaf sheath showed disrupted phloem, partially ruptured parenchyma and vascular tissues and further partially distorted inner bundle sheaths and vascular bundle after 48 hours incubation. Sulphurated leaf sheaths showed extensive degraded parenchyma and sclerenchyma material in 24 hours incubation, however, all tissues were irregulary shaped in 48 hours incubation. In ammoniation, epidermal cell walls and small vascular bundles began to disintegrate by 24 hours incubation, extensively changed structure and degraded epidermal tissue by 48 hours incubation. Combination treatment of leaf sheaths degraded all cell walls of parenchyma, phloem and vascular bundle by 24 hours incubation, however, structures only of inner bundles sheath with extended land, sclerenchyma and cutinized epidermal cell walls remained.