Cell expansion-division under resource limitation: a novel framework for modeling fruit growth dynamics

Abstract

Fruit growth is determined by cell expansion and division, processes that are closely linked to the availability and allocation of resources. By influencing environmental and growing conditions, agricultural practices affect these processes and ultimately many key indicators of fruit quality and yield. Given the multifaceted complexity underlying fruit growth dynamics, a process-based framework that can link genetic and environmental inputs to observables of economic and nutritional interest has become essential for predicting and improving agricultural outcomes. Here we present a mathematical framework that integrates cellular dynamics with resource allocation mechanisms to model the interplay between division, expansion and resource limitation in fruit cells. The model captures the temporal evolution of total fruit mass, cell number and cell mass distribution, reflecting data across genotypes and environmental conditions from tomato growth experiments. This sheds light on the possible relationships between genetic traits, growth conditions and fruit traits, and provides a predictive tool for optimizing fruit yield and quality under agricultural practices. Our minimal but mechanistic approach has broader implications for understanding resource-limited growth in multicellular systems.