Njengoba ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kulindeleke ukuthi kuholele ezikhathini zesomiso ezivamile, abacwaningi baya ngokuya besebenza ukuze bathole izinto ezingasiza izitshalo ukuba zivumelane nokucindezeleka kwamanzi isikhathi eside.
Abacwaningi base-Boyce Thompson Institute kanye nase-Cornell University baphothule ucwaningo lokuqala ukuze banikeze isithombe esiphelele sezinguquko zezakhi zofuzo ekuphenduleni ukucindezeleka kwamanzi esithelweni-utamatisi, i-Solanum lycopersicum-ikhomba izakhi zofuzo ezingasiza abalimi bezitshalo ukuba bathuthukise izithelo ezikwazi ukubhekana nezifo. izimo zesomiso.
Ishicilelwe kumagazini ka-December I-Plant Physiology, umsebenzi wawuholwa ithimba locwaningo likaCarmen Catalá, uprofesa osizayo e-BTI kanye noMdidiyeli Omkhulu Wokucwaninga eSikoleni Sesayensi Yezitshalo Ezididiyelwe (SIPS) eCornell. Abacwaningi abasebenzisanayo bahlanganisa u-Jocelyn Rose, uprofesa we-SIP, kanye nosolwazi be-BTI uJim Giovannoni, uZhangjun Fei noLukas Mueller, abaphinde babe osolwazi be-SIP.
"Sihlonze inani lezakhi zofuzo ezihilelekile ekuphenduleni ukucindezeleka kwamanzi esithelweni sikatamatisi," kusho uCatalá. “Sesingaqala ukukhetha izakhi zofuzo ezingasiza abalimi ukuba bakhe izithelo ezikwazi ukubhekana nesimo sesomiso, hhayi utamatisi kuphela kodwa namagilebhisi, ama-apula, nezithelo ezinomzimba nje jikelele. Lokho ukusebenzisa okungaba khona isikhathi eside kwale datha.”
Abacwaningi babheka ukubonakaliswa kofuzo emaqabunga katamatisi kanye nezitho eziyisithupha zezithelo (i-pericarp, i-placenta, i-septum, i-columella, i-jelly kanye nembewu) ngezikhathi ezimbili ezihlukene (isithelo esikhulayo nesivuthiwe) nangaphansi kwezimo ezine ezihlukene zokucindezeleka kwamanzi (akukho, okuncane, okuphakathi kanye strong).
Abacwaningi bathola ukuthi izicubu zesitho sesithelo ngasinye sashintsha ngezindlela ezihlukile ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
"Ngaphansi kwe-1% yezakhi zofuzo eziveziwe ezithintekile ngenxa yokucindezeleka kwamanzi zabiwe phakathi kwazo zonke izicubu zezithelo eziyisithupha, futhi ngaphezu kwe-50% yezakhi zofuzo ezithintekayo zaziqondene nezicubu ezilodwa," kusho uCatala.
Ngokuphambene nemiphumela engemihle yesomiso, ebangela ukuphazamiseka ngokomzimba nokulahlekelwa kwezithelo, kunemiphumela emihle ehambisana nesomiso—okungenani nesomiso esincane.
Isibonelo, abacwaningi bathola ukuthi ukucindezeleka kwamanzi kwandisa inani le-lycopene esithelweni esivuthiwe. I-Lycopene iyi-antioxidant ebhale izinzuzo zezempilo. Izithelo ezicindezelwe ngamanzi nazo zazinamazinga aphezulu e-starch biosynthesis, engaveza utamatisi omnandi.
Abacwaningi baphinde bathola ukuthi bangakwazi "ukuqeqesha" utamatisi ukuze ukwazi ukumelana nesomiso samanzi esizayo.
"Lapho sihlwanyela imbewu evela ezitshalweni ezilashwayo, sathola ukuthi izithombo ezivela kutamatisi ogxilile zibonise ukutholakala okuthuthukisiwe ekucindezelekeni kwamanzi uma kuqhathaniswa nezithombo ezivela kutamatisi olawulayo," kusho uPhilippe Nicolas, usosayensi we-postdoctoral lab yaseCatalá kanye nomlobi wokuqala ephepheni.
UNicolas uthe bahlonze izakhi zofuzo ezimbalwa okukhulunywa kwazo kubangelwa ukucindezelwa kwamanzi ezinhlanyelweni ezivuthiwe, ezingadlala indima ebalulekile ekunikezeni ukubekezelelana kokucindezeleka kwamanzi esizukulwaneni esilandelayo sezitshalo.
Lolu cwaningo belunenselelo ngezindlela ezimbalwa ngoba abacwaningi bebebheka izithelo. Ucwaningo oluningi lwezimpendulo zezitshalo ekucindezelekeni kwesomiso luhlola izimpande zezithombo namaqabunga ngoba kulula ukuzifunda.
"Kulula ukugcizelela izithombo, kodwa uma ugcizelela kakhulu izitshalo ngeke ziqhakaze futhi zikhiqize izithelo," kusho uCatalá. “Futhi, uma ufuna ukufunda ngezithelo, kufanele ukhule izitshalo zabantu abadala, okuthatha isikhathi esiningi, indawo kanye nezinsiza zizonke.”