Water-soaking and cracking in strawberry: Mechanism and causes

草莓的成熟果实表现出非常有限的耐雨性。首先，它们的湿皮肤很快就显示出浸水的迹象，其次，这很快就伴随着下面的肉组织的逐步分解。这两个问题在干燥时都是不可逆的。保护性耕作是目前唯一可以可靠地限制这些问题的措施，但这大大增加了生产成本。第三个问题是一旦达到成熟期，果实就会迅速软化-无论是在收获前还是收获后。这三个因素在销售点决定水果质量时占主导地位。在这里，我们着手调查的假设，这三种现象都直接或间接地与水果水的关系。我们的目标是确定水浸泡和细胞破裂在肉的机械基础。我们将重点关注：（1）表征草莓果实表皮的细胞学-有和没有雨水损害的迹象，（2）确定通过茎进入果实的水运输速率，（3）量化果实水分损失速率（蒸腾）通过水果表面和（4）建立钙和膨压的影响：（i）果实硬度，（ii）细胞壁膨胀，（iii）组织断裂模式和（iv）对雨水损害的敏感性。我们希望获得所需的基础信息，以了解草莓果实的生理和质量，并确定这些是如何影响水果水的关系。需要这些信息来制定战略，以减轻雨水损害（水浸泡，果肉崩解），并通过改变生产方法和水果育种来帮助保持水果的硬度。

Mature fruits of strawberry show very limited rainfastness. First, their wetted skins soon show signs of water-soaking and, second, this is quickly followed by a progressive disintegration of the underlying flesh tissues. Neither problem is at all reversible upon drying. Protected cultivation is the only measure currently available that reliably limits these problems but this significantly increases the cost of production. A third problem is the rapid softening of the fruit once maturity is reached – both pre- and post-harvest. These three factors dominate in the determination of fruit quality at point of sale. Here, we set out to investigate the hypothesis that all three phenomena are directly or indirectly related to fruit water relations. Our objectives are to identify the mechanistic bases of water soaking and cell rupture in the flesh. We will focus on: (1) characterising the cytology of the skins of strawberry fruit - with and without signs of rain damage, (2) determining the rate of water transport into the fruit through the stalk, (3) quantifying the rates of fruit water loss (transpiration) through the fruit surface and (4) establishing the effects of calcium and turgor on: (i) fruit firmness, (ii) cell-wall swelling, (iii) tissue fracture mode and (iv) susceptibility to rain damage. We expect to obtain the underpinning information required to understand the physiology of strawberry fruits and their quality and to determine how these are affected by fruit water relations. This information is required to develop strategies to mitigate rain damage (water soaking, flesh disintegration) and to help maintain fruit firmness via both altered production methods and fruit breeding.