From fruit anatomical features to fruit growth strategy: Is there a relationship?

Previous studies show how different fruit species exhibit a wide range in their epidermal conductance and thus in their capacity of losing water by transpiration. This implies different potentials in decreasing daily their turgor pressure and in increasing their stem-to-fruit water potential gradient. As phloem and xylem flows to the fruit are driven by water potential gradients in the vascular path, fruit dehydration by transpiration may have an impact in these flows and thus in fruit growth. Besides, as phloem unloading may occur by active or passive mechanisms depending, among other factors, on the fruit capacity to maintain phloem-to-fruit hydrostatic pressure gradients, fruit capacity to transpire may be related to phloem unloading behaviour as well as the tendency to develop xylem dysfunctions during the season or to be subjected to xylem backflows. This work compares data from peach, apple, pear, kiwifruit and grape at different times during the season and show how fruit with similar features can share a similar growth strategy.