The study on mechanical properties of Phytagel medium

Abstract

Abstract Background: The mechanical properties of plant culture medium such as Phytagel affect plant growth and development. Given that the mechanical properties of Phytagel medium are vital for biomechanical experiments designing, a systematic study on mechanical properties of Phytagel medium with different concentrations were carried out here to better understand the response of plant to mechanical stimulation. Results: Uniaxial compression test was conducted for the mechanical strength and Young’s modulus. The variation of concentrations of media results in different mechanical strength. The linear-regression analysis of the breaking load shows that there is a lack of fit of the linear regression model to the observed data points for all these Phytagel concentrations (R2 = 0.9708). The spline regression model, however, fits well to the Young’s modulus for Phytagel medium data. The rheological measurements from the oscillation tests (frequency sweep from 0.1 to 20 Hz at 1% strain) indicate that increasing the Phytagel concentrations results in a stiffer structure at 0.5%-1.2%. Conclusions: Although the biological effects of Phytagel on plant along with mechanical power are expected to check, this contribution provides a useful reference in biomechanical experiments to choose the best Phytagel concentration for the culture of plants and tissues.