Inflorescence development in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., cv. King Plus) grown under a low‐light regime is promoted by exogenous applications of a mixture of N6‐benzyladenine (BA) and gibberellins A4+7 (GA) directly on the inflorescence. The photosynthetic rate of the young mature leaf, which feeds the developing inflorescence, and the proportion of 14C‐assimilates exported from the source leaf are not affected by the growth substance treatment, but the pattern of 14C‐assimilate distribution is altered. Assimilate supply to the treated inflorescence increases concomitantly with a decrease in the 14C import into the apical shoot, reflecting a competition between these two plant parts. The increased assimilate accumulation in the treated inflorescence is apparent 1 day after the first application of BA+GA, and precedes any morphological changes in the reproductive structure. These results are discussed in relation to nutritional hypotheses that regard assimilate supply as limiting for reproductive development.
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Leonard et al. (1983) studied this question.