Abstract
A carbon-based model is described of the source-sink relationships of a stem bearing fruits in space and time and focusing on growth variability along the branch. The novelty of the model comes from the aggregation of physiological processes taking into account spatial aspects. The stem is represented as a set of compartments (metamers) connected to source (leafy shoots) and sink (fruits) compartments. Each leafy shoot forms one compartment. The fruit consists of three compartments involved in translocation (cytoplasm), structure (cell wall) and storage (vacuole). Physiological processes considered are photosynthesis, respiration of fruits and leaves, translocation of assimilates and fruit growth. Assimilate production is regulated by sink strength. Carbon translocation between two compartments depends on the gradient of assimilate concentration. The gradient induces carbon translocation from the most to the least concentrated compartment, except for the vacuole compartment into which translocation is possible whatever the concentration gradient. Fruit growth, in terms of fresh weight, results from the phloem water supplied to the fruit according to the concentration gradient between the fruit and the stem. The model is calibrated for peach trees by comparing observed and simulated fruit dry and fresh weights for a shoot with normal fruit load. The model simulates variability between peach fruits and the effect of contrasting fruit loads. According to this model, photosynthesis increases and assimilate concentrations in leaves and phloem decrease with decreasing leaf:fruit ratio as reported in the literature. Simulated concentrations of assimilates in the phloem range from 2 to 14%. Simulated concentration gradients and specific mass transfer for peach trees range from 0.05 to 0.17 g cm −3 m −1 and from 0 to 3 g cm −2 h −1 , respectively, and are of the same order of magnitude as those reported for various other tree species. The model is used to analyse the effect of fruit position relative to the leaves. Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
The model simulates variability among peach fruits.
- Taxon
- peach trees
Prunus persicae1 - Outcome
- variability between peach fruitse0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The model simulates variability between peach fruits”
e1“The model is calibrated for peach trees”
Claim · model-written summary
The model simulates the effect of contrasting fruit loads.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae1
- Outcome
- effect of contrasting fruit loadse0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the effect of contrasting fruit loads”
e1“The model is calibrated for peach trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Modelled photosynthesis increases as the leaf:fruit ratio decreases.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae1
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Outcome
- photosynthesise0
- Direction
- increasese0
- Qualifier
- decreasing leaf:fruit ratioe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“photosynthesis increases and assimilate concentrations in leaves and phloem decrease with decreasing leaf:fruit ratio”
e1“The model is calibrated for peach trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Modelled assimilate concentrations in leaves and phloem decrease as the leaf:fruit ratio decreases.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae1
- Organ / stage
- leaves and phloeme0
- Outcome
- assimilate concentrations in leaves and phloeme0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Qualifier
- decreasing leaf:fruit ratioe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“photosynthesis increases and assimilate concentrations in leaves and phloem decrease with decreasing leaf:fruit ratio”
e1“The model is calibrated for peach trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated phloem assimilate concentrations range from 2 to 14%.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae1
- Organ / stage
- phloeme0
- Outcome
- concentrations of assimilates in the phloeme0
- Value
- 2 to 14%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated concentrations of assimilates in the phloem range from 2 to 14%”
e1“The model is calibrated for peach trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated concentration gradients for peach trees range from 0.05 to 0.17 g cm −3 m −1.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae0
- Outcome
- concentration gradientse0
- Value
- 0.05 to 0.17 g cm −3 m −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated concentration gradients and specific mass transfer for peach trees range from 0.05 to 0.17 g cm −3 m −1 and from 0 to 3 g cm −2 h −1”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated specific mass transfer for peach trees ranges from 0 to 3 g cm −2 h −1.
- Taxon
- peach treesPrunus persicae0
- Outcome
- specific mass transfere0
- Value
- 0 to 3 g cm −2 h −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Simulated concentration gradients and specific mass transfer for peach trees range from 0.05 to 0.17 g cm −3 m −1 and from 0 to 3 g cm −2 h −1”