Experimental Study Of The Mechanical Properties Of Wheat Stems

Lodging is a major limiting factor on grain production worldwide, which is determined by the physical and mechanical properties of the wheat stem. The purpose of this experimental research is to investigate the mechanical properties of the wheat plant that would be indicative of lodging resistant characteristics.1. Experimental methods of tensile-test for the wheat stem were investigated, and finally a feasible method was developed successfully. By this method experiments were performed using an Instron Testing Machine.2. A series of experiments such as tensile, shearing and bending test were performed to measure the physical and mechanical properties of three varieties of the wheat stems. By these experiments, the tensile and shearing strengths , elastic modular and flexural rigidity of stem internodes at different stage of plant maturity were obtained.3. By these experiment results, the ability of lodging resistance of the three varieties was compared. And the lodging resistantcharacters were summed up.4. A mechanical model of the wheat stem has been developed. On this foundation, the critical load of a wheat plant was induced theoretically.