# Microwave Heat Treatment Induced Changes in Forage Hay Digestibility and Cell Microstructure
## 3 Results
### Scanning Electron Microscope Image Analysis (SEM-IA)  
Observation of the control sample showed intact cell structure and surfaces. In contrast, MW-treated wheat and lucerne samples taken from both the top and the central core showed severely disrupted structures and highly exposed areas (Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, the pixel intensity of the MW treated lucerne hay central core sample showed the highest pixel intensity (35.742), followed by MW treated top sample (33.521) and control (22.415). In case of wheat hay, the pixel intensity for control, top and central core samples was 8.335, 23.579, and 37.345, respectively (Figure 2). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Parameters**} & **MW Time** & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Forage Type (FT)**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**MT**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**FY\(\times\)MT**} \\ \cline{3-10}  & **(MT) (\%)** & **Lucerne** & **Canola** & **Pasture** & **Oat** & **Wheat** & **LSD** & **\(p\)-Value** & **LSD** & **\(p\)-Value** \\ \hline DM g/kg & 0 & 930.7 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 902.2 \({}^{\rm\,ad}\) & 928.6 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 904.5 \({}^{\rm\,aA}\) & 896.0 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & & & & \\ (fresh & 20 & 935.9 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 911.9 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 931.2 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 922.1 \({}^{\rm\,aA}\) & 913.0 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & & & & \\ weight & 40 & 939.7 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 925.6 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 939.8 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 912.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 916.5 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 0.36 \(<\)0.001 & 0.81 & 0.197 \\ basis) & 60 & 940.0 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 942.6 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 941.6 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 923.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 923.7 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\  & 80 & 947.5 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 948.1 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 943.2 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 930.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 921.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\ \hline  & 0 & 912.0 \({}^{\rm\,a}\) & 942.2 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 922.4 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 926.4 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 943.1 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\ DM (g/kg) & 40 & 911.0 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 929.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 922.8 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 930.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 944.8 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\  & 60 & 911.7 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 926.9 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 916.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 931.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 941.9 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\  & 80 & 909.4 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 929.1 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 914.5 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 931.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 945.5 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\ \hline  & 0 & 180.8 \({}^{\rm\,a}\) & 115.4 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 007.3 \({}^{\rm\,a}\) & 90.9 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 116.4 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & & & & \\ CP (g/kg) & 40 & 188.6 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 112.5 \({}^{\rm\,cd}\) & 013.6 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 010.7 \({}^{\rm\,ad}\) & 109.5 \({}^{\rm\,ad}\) & & & & \\  & 60 & 193.8 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 110.8 \({}^{\rm\,cd}\)/dB & 065.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 114.6 \({}^{\rm\,dc}\)/dfa & 108.8 \({}^{\rm\,ad}\)/dfa & & & & \\  & 80 & 190.5 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 122.6 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 069.6 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 108.1 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\)/dfa & & & & & \\ \hline  & 0 & 315.4 \({}^{\rm\,a}\) & 604.1 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 660.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 467.1 \({}^{\rm\,ab}\) & 562.2 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\ NDF & 20 & 311.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 605.8 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 634.3 \({}^{\rm\,ac}\) & 486.5 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 555.1 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & & & & \\ (g/kg) & 40 & 328.7 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 642.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 632.8 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 493.9 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 549.3 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 0.80 & 0.026 & 1.78 & 0.156 \\  & 60 & 335.0 \({}^{\rm\,a\lambda}\) & 625.6 \({}^{\rm\,a\Figure 1: Scanning electron microscope images of lucerne hay, (**a**,**b**) SEM and Fiji analytical image of untreated hay, respectively, (**c**,**d**) SEM and intensity variance image MW treated (taken from the top of the sample), respectively, (**e**,**f**) MW treated (taken from the center core of the sample), respectively.