Under high soil-moisture growing conditions, fruit
enlarged rapidly and minute cuts occurred
frequently on the surface. These minute cuts
could later act as focal points for stresses that
further tear the cuticle (Brown and Considine,
1982). The cuticle was also thinner and the
epidermal and subepidermal cells flatter and
more markedly stretched compared to those of
fruit grown under low soil moisture. Fruit on
plants grown under low soil moisture were
smaller and had higher tensile strength with
few minute cuts.