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Vascular bundle xylem water transport repression and cell anatomical structure differences may lead to berry cracking near the proximal end

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Abstract

Grape berries often crack near the proximal end, which may be related to water absorption and their cellular anatomical structure. To study the relationship between water absorption, cell anatomical structures, and berry cracking near the proximal end, 49 varieties were selected. Eighteen were prone to cracking near the proximal end, while 31 were resistant. An in vitro soaking experiment on ripe berries measured the difference in berry-cracking degrees among different varieties. In vitro staining was used to trace water absorption and paraffin sections were prepared to observe and analyze the structural parameters of different tissues. Results showed that the cracking rate and water uptake of the crack-prone berries were significantly higher than those of the crack-resistant berries. Fruit prone to cracking was characterized by a thinner cuticle, epidermis, and sub-epidermis. After staining, it was found that dye absorption was limited to the berry near the proximal end. Other cell size parameters may also lead to cracking near the proximal end. By tracing water transport and analyzing differences in cell structure characteristics among varieties, we speculated that the vascular bundle xylem water transport repression and differences in cell anatomical structures may have led to berry cracking near the proximal end. The reasons for berry cracking near the proximal end were preliminarily explained, providing theoretical support for further screening of crack-resistant varieties.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Youth Science and Technology Backbone Innovation Ability Training Project (xjnkq-2023006), the Project of the Fund for Stable Support to Agricultural Sci-Tech Renovation (xjnkywdzc-2022001-9), and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Tianchi Talent–Young Doctor (“Revealing the domestication history of Xinjiang native grape varieties and genetic analysis of important agronomic traits”, 2060208269 and 2060208270). We thank LetPub (www.letpub.com) for its linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

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  1. Chuan Zhang and Liwen Cui have contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Horticulture Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, 830091, China

    Chuan Zhang, Vivek Yadav, Haixia Zhong, Fuchun Zhang, Xiaoming Zhou & Xinyu Wu

  2. The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation of Crop Resistance in Arid Desert Regions (Preparation), Urumqi, 830091, China

    Chuan Zhang, Vivek Yadav, Haixia Zhong, Fuchun Zhang, Xiaoming Zhou & Xinyu Wu

  3. Key Laboratory of Genome Research and Genetic Improvement of Xinjiang Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables, Urumqi, 830091, China

    Chuan Zhang, Vivek Yadav, Haixia Zhong, Fuchun Zhang, Xiaoming Zhou & Xinyu Wu

  4. College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Liwen Cui

  5. Jiaxing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiaxing, 314000, China

    Meng Shen

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Contributions

WXY and ZC provided the experimental ideas and designed the research; ZC, ZYC, and ZXM implemented the research and performed data analysis; CLW, SM, YV, and ZHX made preliminary revisions to the paper; and ZC and WXY made the final decision on the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chuan Zhang or Xinyu Wu.

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Zhang, C., Cui, L., Shen, M. et al. Vascular bundle xylem water transport repression and cell anatomical structure differences may lead to berry cracking near the proximal end. Hortic. Environ. Biotechnol. 65, 199–213 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-023-00566-3

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