The chemical components and decomposition of wheat straw leaves, internodes and nodes

Chemical analysis of wheat straw reveals that internodes have larger cellulose but smaller hot‐water‐soluble fraction contents than either leaves or nodes. Lignin and hemicellulose contents are similar. The leaves and nodes of wheat straw lose weight more rapidly than the internodes during the early stages of aerobic decomposition. This is at least in part a consequence of the more rapid losses of the polysaccharides in leaves and the hot‐water‐soluble materials in nodes. Internodes also provide a poorer substrate than leaves and nodes for the anaerobes which produce acetic acid.