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Editorial Book
Book Title: Crop Stress Physiology (Volume 1)

PAID ACCESS | Published on : 26-Jun-2024 | Pages: 55-73 |

Source – Sink Dynamics and Assimilate Partitioning in Stress-affected Crops


  • Rekha GV
  • Department of Horticulture, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Iniya Bharathi R
  • Department of Horticulture, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India.

  • Srivignesh Sundaresan
  • Department of Horticulture, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract

Source-sink relations play a vital role in controlling the growth, productivity, and yield stability of crops, whether grown under optimal or stressful environmental conditions. In crops, the mature photosynthesizing parts are called sources as they produce photo assimilates whereas the young developing tissues serve as sinks as they consume or store photo assimilates for their growth and reproductive processes. Hence, proper regulation of assimilate synthesis, translocation, partitioning, and consumption is critical for proper grain filling, fruit formation, and biomass accumulation. But abiotic stresses like drought, high temperature, salt, nutrition deficiency, and low light severely affect the source-sink relation through inhibition of photosynthesis, assimilate transport, carbohydrate metabolism, and sink activity. Low assimilate availability and transport often cause poor grain filling, floral abortion, decreased fruit set, and low sink size leading to large yield losses in cereals and vegetables. In this chapter, we discuss the physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and molecular aspects involved in regulating the source-sink relation under adverse conditions. A special emphasis is made on the role of photosynthesis, partitioning of assimilates, re-mobilization of carbon and nitrogen, phloem loading and unloading, and sink strength in crop adaptation under adverse environments. Moreover, the chapter brings out the role played by phytohormones such as abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins, as well as regulatory molecules such as sucrose transporters, invertases, sucrose synthase, and stress-related genes in regulating assimilate transport and reproduction. It further touches on the progress made in crop physiology, molecular breeding, genomics, and biotechnology strategies to enhance source longevity, sink potential, and stress tolerance. Understanding the role of source-sink interactions during stress is imperative in the development of climate-resilient crop species.

Keywords

Source-sink, physiological, molecular breeding, biotechnology, genomic

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