Chung Sun Woo, Yun Kyungdahm, Kim Soo-Hyung
School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Department of Horticulture, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Quant Plant Biol. 2025 Jun 30;6:e19. doi: 10.1017/qpb.2025.10011. eCollection 2025.
Fruit growth is driven by the interaction of environmental cues and phytohormonal signals. Biophysical models have captured the general trend of fruit growth but often overlook the regulatory role of phytohormones. This study integrates a biophysical framework with the quantitative response of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in fruit. ABA dynamics are incorporated as a ripening signal, influencing sugar uptake, respiration, hydraulic conductance and transpiration processes. The model has been primarily tested on blueberries, a fruit with well-characterised ABA responses. Simulations show predictive accuracy and explanatory capability for fruit mass under variable climatic conditions. Notably, the model effectively simulates the impacts of environmental stresses such as heat, cold and drought, capturing the resulting physiological delays in fruit growth. Our research underscores the potential of integrating phytohormonal responses into biophysical models, providing key insights into fruit growth dynamics and practical guidance for optimising crop management under increasing climate uncertainties.
果实生长受环境因素和植物激素信号相互作用的驱动。生物物理模型已捕捉到果实生长的总体趋势，但往往忽视了植物激素的调节作用。本研究将生物物理框架与果实中内源脱落酸（ABA）的定量响应相结合。ABA动态被纳入作为成熟信号，影响糖分吸收、呼吸作用、水力传导和蒸腾过程。该模型主要在蓝莓上进行了测试，蓝莓是一种ABA反应特征明确的果实。模拟结果显示了该模型在可变气候条件下对果实质量的预测准确性和解释能力。值得注意的是，该模型有效地模拟了热、冷和干旱等环境胁迫的影响，捕捉到了果实生长中由此产生的生理延迟。我们的研究强调了将植物激素反应整合到生物物理模型中的潜力，为果实生长动态提供了关键见解，并为在气候不确定性增加的情况下优化作物管理提供了实际指导。
