Sink effect
The sink effect is a physiological process where plants mobilize and transport nutrients and photosynthates from source organs, like leaves, to storage organs, such as grains or fruits.
Также говорят: sink-source relation, source-sink dynamics, assimilate partitioning
The sink effect governs the efficiency of crop yield formation. By managing this biological mechanism, growers can prioritize the development of economically important organs, ensuring that photosynthetic products are not wasted on unnecessary vegetative growth.
Successful management involves precise control over fertilizer application timing and plant growth regulators. A common mistake is providing excessive nitrogen during the grain-filling stage, which confuses the source-sink balance and leads to reduced grain weight or quality degradation.