Fruit and Leaf Response to Different Source–Sink Ratios in Apple, at the Scale of the Fruit-Bearing Branch

International audienceApple fruit growth is the result of several factors: inherent demand (relative sink strength) of the fruit (defined by the demands for cell division and expansion growth, etc.), carbon assimilation by the source leaves (source strength), and the resulting allocation to the organ in question. It is thus a complex process involving source-sink interactions. In the present study, we designed an experimental system in which parts of fruit-bearing branches of two apple cultivars ("Fuji" and "Ariane") were isolated from the rest of the tree by girdling and then subjected to specific pruning and fruit removal treatments to create a wide range of global (branch-level) source-sink ratios. We monitored not only fruit kinetics but also photosynthesis as a response to light in leaves of the three different shoot types (i.e., the rosette, the bourse, and the vegetative shoots) to 1) study the impact of source-sink distance on carbon partitioning between fruits within the same branch and 2) to investigate the impact of source/sink ratio on fruit growth and leaf photosynthetic activity. Our results indicate 1) no significant differences among lateral fruits belonging to different ranks, and this independent of source availability; 2) that a modification of the source/sink ratio seems to be compensated by an alteration of the photosynthetic rate of leaves, with stronger and weaker values obtained for lower and higher ratios, respectively. Moreover, our results seem to suggest that two growing sinks together will upregulate photosynthesis rate more strongly than one growing sink does on its own, and this with the same leaf area per fruit. These results are discussed, and some hypotheses are put forward to explain them

Ecophysiological Processes characterizing the Carbon Partitioning between Sources and Sinks in the Fruit-bearing Branch of Apple : Elements for a Functional-Structural Plant Model

La synthèse et le transport du carbone chez le pommier repose sur un ensemble de mécanismes complexes et imbriqués dépendants de facteurs endogènes et exogènes. Uneapproche combinant une caractérisation écophysiologique et l’utilisation d’un modèle structure-fonction de la plante (Functional-Structural Plant Model, FSPM) présente un moyenintéressant pour ce champ de recherche dans la mesure où un modèle structure-fonction permet d’intégrer la topologie et la géométrie de la plante et de ses différents organes à l’ensemble des facteurs impliqués dans l’assimilation et le transport du carbone et de l’eau. Le travail présenté ici a contribué à la compréhension des relations sources-puits mais égalementà l’élaboration d’un modèle FSPM à plusieurs niveaux. Premièrement, le développement de modèles de prédiction de l’architecture des différentes pousses du pommier à partir de variables simples apporte un moyen novateur pour simplifier la simulation de l’architecturedes branches mais égalementpour quantifi er de façon robuste la surface foliaire. Deuxièmement,l’établissement d’un réseau de corrélations entrevariables morphométriques des différents organes issus dubourgeon mixte met en évidence les organes les plus connectésà l’échelle du spur. Enfi n, une étude des relations sourcespuitsà l’échelle de la branche a permis, d’une part, une caractérisationde la régulation de la photosynthèse nette desfeuilles en réponse à des changements dans le ratio sources/puits mais aussi en fonction des types de feuilles et, d’autrepart, à mettre la lumière sur l’inflThe synthesis and the transport of carbon in apple are basedon a whole host of complex and interlaced mechanisms thatdepend on endogenous and exogenous factors. An approachthat combines the ecophysiological characterisation with theuse of a Functional-Structural Plant Model (FSPM) representsan interesting method in this fi eld of research, inasmuch assuch an FSPM allows integrating the topology and the geometryof the plant and its constituting organs with the entiretyof factors involved in assimilation as well as water andcarbon transport. The present study has contributed to thebetter understanding of the source-sink relations characterizingthis system but also to the elaboration of a multi-scaledFSPM. First, the development of models for the prediction ofthe architecture of different shoot types in apple from simplevariables provides a novel way to simplify the simulationof theinitial structure of branches but also to quantify leaf area in arobust manner. Second, the creation of a network of correlationsamong morphometric variables of the different organsformed by the mixed bud of apple clearly shows the functionalrelations among the spur organs. In the end, the study ofsource-sink relations at the branch scale has allowed, on theone hand, to characterize the regulation of net photosynthesisas a function of a changed source/sink ratio but also asa function of leaf type and, on the other hand, to shed somelight on the infl uence that the competition among fruits hason increasing sink strength and thus regulating the lea

Etude des processus écophysiologiques caractérisant la distribution du carbone entre les sources et les puits au sein de la charpentière du pommier. Eléments pour un modèle fonction-structure

The synthesis and the transport of carbon in apple are basedon a whole host of complex and interlaced mechanisms thatdepend on endogenous and exogenous factors. An approachthat combines the ecophysiological characterisation with theuse of a Functional-Structural Plant Model (FSPM) representsan interesting method in this fi eld of research, inasmuch assuch an FSPM allows integrating the topology and the geometryof the plant and its constituting organs with the entiretyof factors involved in assimilation as well as water andcarbon transport. The present study has contributed to thebetter understanding of the source-sink relations characterizingthis system but also to the elaboration of a multi-scaledFSPM. First, the development of models for the prediction ofthe architecture of different shoot types in apple from simplevariables provides a novel way to simplify the simulationof theinitial structure of branches but also to quantify leaf area in arobust manner. Second, the creation of a network of correlationsamong morphometric variables of the different organsformed by the mixed bud of apple clearly shows the functionalrelations among the spur organs. In the end, the study ofsource-sink relations at the branch scale has allowed, on theone hand, to characterize the regulation of net photosynthesisas a function of a changed source/sink ratio but also asa function of leaf type and, on the other hand, to shed somelight on the infl uence that the competition among fruits hason increasing sink strength and thus regulating the leafLa synthèse et le transport du carbone chez le pommier repose sur un ensemble de mécanismes complexes et imbriqués dépendants de facteurs endogènes et exogènes. Uneapproche combinant une caractérisation écophysiologique et l’utilisation d’un modèle structure-fonction de la plante (Functional-Structural Plant Model, FSPM) présente un moyenintéressant pour ce champ de recherche dans la mesure où un modèle structure-fonction permet d’intégrer la topologie et la géométrie de la plante et de ses différents organes à l’ensemble des facteurs impliqués dans l’assimilation et le transport du carbone et de l’eau. Le travail présenté ici a contribué à la compréhension des relations sources-puits mais égalementà l’élaboration d’un modèle FSPM à plusieurs niveaux. Premièrement, le développement de modèles de prédiction de l’architecture des différentes pousses du pommier à partir de variables simples apporte un moyen novateur pour simplifier la simulation de l’architecturedes branches mais égalementpour quantifi er de façon robuste la surface foliaire. Deuxièmement,l’établissement d’un réseau de corrélations entrevariables morphométriques des différents organes issus dubourgeon mixte met en évidence les organes les plus connectésà l’échelle du spur. Enfi n, une étude des relations sourcespuitsà l’échelle de la branche a permis, d’une part, une caractérisationde la régulation de la photosynthèse nette desfeuilles en réponse à des changements dans le ratio sources/puits mais aussi en fonction des types de feuilles et, d’autrepart, à mettre la lumière sur l’inf

The role of branch architecture in assimilate production and partitioning: the example of apple (Malus domestica).

Article de revue (Article scientifique dans une revue à comité de lecture)International audienceUnderstanding the role of branch architecture in carbon production and allocation is essential to gain more insight into the complex process of assimilate partitioning in fruit trees. This mini review reports on the current knowledge of the role of branch architecture in carbohydrate production and partitioning in apple. The first-order carrier branch of apple illustrates the complexity of branch structure emerging from bud activity events and encountered in many fruit trees. Branch architecture influences carbon production by determining leaf exposure to light and by affecting leaf internal characteristics related to leaf photosynthetic capacity. The dynamics of assimilate partitioning between branch organs depends on the stage of development of sources and sinks. The sink strength of various branch organs and their relative positioning on the branch also affect partitioning. Vascular connections between branch organs determine major pathways for branch assimilate transport. We propose directions for employing a modeling approach to further elucidate the role of branch architecture on assimilate partitioning.</p