Effects of Carbohydrate Source on Sink Development in Fruiting Species

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are autotrophic organisms able to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into sugars in order to provide energy for plant growth. Research on resource allocation in plants uses the term “source” to describe organs that are net producers of photoassimilates through photosynthesis (i.e., leaves) and “sink” to describe organs that are net importers of photoassimilates for growth and storage (i.e., shoot and root meristems, developing leaves, roots, seeds, fruit, bulbs, tubers, and fleshy taproots). Leaves export up to 80% of the carbon they fix, maintaining a consistent supply of carbon to support sink metabolism and growth. Transport or flow represents the physical link between source and sinks, involving loading of sugars at the source, transport via the phloem and unloading into the sink.

Not all sinks are equal, and the priority of sinks can change across various stages of plant phenological development, under different environments or plant management systems, and also between plant species. In cultivated crops, considerable research has been carried out to establish whether plant productivity is source- or sink-limited. Current knowledge suggests that both sources and sinks are involved in limiting plant productivity. Therefore, in order to maximize yield, improvements of both source export and sink import are needed.

The manipulation of individual environmental, physiological, or molecular responses can lead to a range of non-linear responses in source and sink function and yield. These responses may be species-specific and can be influenced both by plant growth stages and growing conditions. Climate change’s impacts on both atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature are prompting plant breeders to select novel genotypes that will maximize yield under predicted future environmental conditions through modified source–sink relationships. Tools such as metabolic engineering and gene editing have helped to expand our understanding of source–sink relationships to assist with the selection and management of new genotypes.

This Special Issue welcomes original research or review papers focused on the effects that source carbohydrate supply has on the sink development of fruiting species, including both model plants and cultivated crops.

Dr. Annette C. Richardson
Dr. Simona Nardozza
Guest Editors

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• carbohydrate metabolism
• fruit development
• root development
• shoot growth
• storage reserves
• photosynthesis
• transport
• source–sink manipulation