Manipulation of Source-Sink Relationship in Pertinence to Better Fruit Quality and Yield in Fruit Crops: A Review

Abstract

Profuse flowering and fruiting creates high demand for a limited source of carbohydrates, which affects fruit set and development. These plenty number of flowers and fruits must be reduced to allow the trees to produce fruit that meets market expectations for size, colour and quality. The concept of source-sink relationship and the regulation of carbon partitioning in plants is useful for better understanding of crop physiology and the influence of yield limiting factors on crop production. This relationship between source leaves and the various sink organs not only affects fruit production in the current season, but also the long term performance due to perennial nature of fruit trees. Modelling early season whole-tree carbohydrate supply and demand has greatly improved the understanding of response of trees to manipulation strategies relating source-sink alliance. Various strategies has been adopted to manipulate source-sink relationship like flower bud inhibition, flower thinning, fruitlet thinning, defoliation, girdling, pruning, application of hormones and nutrients etc. Thus, balance between vegetative and reproductive growth is an important aspect for improvement in yield and quality of fruit crops.