Measuring the Effects of the Leaf Blades and Leaf Sheaths on the Dynamic Behavior of Maize

Leaves and their sheaths have been shown to affect the dynamic response of plants undergoing oscillation in the wind. However, there are few studies on how leaf blades and leaf sheaths affect the dynamic behavior of individual maize plants. Maize stalk failure due to windstorms costs US farmers billions of dollars in lost harvests each year, and this study seeks to better describe how the leaf blades and leaf sheaths of maize plants affect how they respond to such mechanical stimulation. A novel measurement system, the CAMP (Corn Accelerometer Measurement Platform), is presented and demonstrated to be effective in capturing the free-response oscillations of maize plants. Forty-three mature plants were tested. Removing the leaf blades was found to have a significant and quantifiable effect on the damping ratio (median reduction 33%) and an inconclusive effect on the damped natural frequency. Removing the leaf sheaths was not found to have a strong effect on dynamic behavior beyond that of the blades. The results are applicable to those seeking to better understand how maize leaves and their sheaths affect the dynamic response to mechanical stimulation. The study also gives a better general understanding of the damping ratio and damped natural frequency of intact maize plants in response to mechanical stimulation than previously seen.