Pedicel anatomy and histology in tomato vary according to genotype and water-deficit environment, affecting fruit mass

The growth and composition of fleshy fruits depend on resource acquisition and distribution in the plant. In tomato, the pedicel serves as the final connection between plant and fruit. However, very few quantitative data are available for the conducting tissues of the pedicel, nor is their genetic variability known. In the present study, a histological approach was combined with process-based modeling to evaluate the potential contribution made by the anatomy and histology of the pedicel to variations in fruit mass. Eleven genotypes were characterized and the impact of water deficit was studied for a single genotype using stress intensity and stage of application as variables. The results highlighted extensive variations in the relative proportions of the different pedicel tissues and in the absolute areas of xylem and phloem between genotypes. The model suggests that the variations in the area of the pedicel’s vascular tissues induced by differences in genotype and water-deficit environments partly contributed to fruit mass variability. They therefore warrant phenotyping for use in the development of plant strains adapted to future environmental constraints. The results also demonstrated the need to develop non-invasive in vivo measurement methods to establish the number and size of active vessels and the flow rates in these vessels to improve prediction of water fluxes in plant architecture. •Conductive tissue surfaces in tomato pedicel are fixed early during fruit growth.•Pedicel histology poorly explains the water deficit-induced decrease in fruit mass.•Early severe water deficit proportionally lowers the pedicel conductive tissue areas.•Genetic variations in pedicel conducting tissue areas correlate with fruit mass.•Pedicel xylem conductivity varies by one order of magnitude among tomato genotypes.