A sugar flow model predicts cell dynamics, weight, and quality of tomato at varying sink-source ratios and...

A new tomato fruit model predicts cell numbers, cell sizes, sugar contents, and fresh weight. Transport of water and saccharides from the plant stem to fruit cells is computed following biophysical rules. The saccharide fruit sink is based on sugar metabolism, rates of cell division and expansion, and starch and cell wall dynamics. Osmotic and hydraulic potentials in cells and their vacuoles drive water import at a given cell wall extensibility. The interaction of demand and transport determines saccharide flow and biomass. We incorporated physiological responses to temperature, pruning, and plant shading. Existing and new parameters were calibrated with data from fruit heating and fruit pruning experiments of contrasting tomato cultivars. Model validation for different strategies of fruit heating and pruning, and plant shading was successful. Increased fruit temperature was shown to reduce fruit weight, as expected. Growth response to fruit pruning or shading was fully explained by changes in phloem sucrose concentration. Hydraulic conductivity of vascular tissue as well as sucrose and hexose carrier capacities were crucial fruit properties determining sugar flux. Model scenarios on knockdown of sucrose synthase and active hexose uptake affected sugar composition. The model creates an important step towards predicting fruit quality and taste under diverse growth conditions.