What happens to xylem flow during ripening?

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Multiple Choice

What happens to xylem flow during ripening?

Explanation:
Xylem flow stops during ripening. As fruit matures, the plant reconfigures vascular transport so water and nutrients to the fruit come mainly through the phloem, not the xylem. The xylem conduits often become blocked or damaged by tissue development and changes in pressure, effectively cutting off water movement via xylem. This shift supports sugar concentration and other ripening changes, since watering from the phloem allows solutes to accumulate without dilution. So, the typical description is that xylem flow ceases during ripening.

Xylem flow stops during ripening. As fruit matures, the plant reconfigures vascular transport so water and nutrients to the fruit come mainly through the phloem, not the xylem. The xylem conduits often become blocked or damaged by tissue development and changes in pressure, effectively cutting off water movement via xylem. This shift supports sugar concentration and other ripening changes, since watering from the phloem allows solutes to accumulate without dilution. So, the typical description is that xylem flow ceases during ripening.

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