ARS | Publication request: RICE STRAW CHARACTERIZATION

Submitted to: United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: December 21, 2004
Publication Date: January 21, 2005
Citation: Wood, D.F., Inglesby, M.K., Gray, G.M., Sabellano, G.P. 2004. Rice straw characterization. United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources, Food and Agriculture Panel 33nd Annual Symposium, December 11-18, 2004, p298-302.

Interpretive Summary: The overall structure and the location of some of the basic constituents of rice straw are described using scanning electron and light microscopy.The structure of rice straw is described using scanning electron and light microscopy. Rice straw is a complex biological material with components housed in specific locations dictated entirely by the anatomy of the plant. Successful product development depends on understanding the characteristics of the starting material. The definition of the structure combined with the localization of specific chemical constituents in rice straw will assist other scientists in the development of a value-added product from rice straw and/or its components.

Technical Abstract: The structure of rice straw is described using scanning electron and light microscopy. The monocotyledonous plant consists of multiple leaf structures which sheath an interior, hollow stem. All tissues have large air spaces and many of the cells are lignified. The exterior surfaces contain multiple ridges and hair-like trichomes as well as smaller, bulbous trichomes.