Table 3 Number of tested samples. C refers to control trees. MSa and MSs refer to stems that experienced asymmetrical and symmetrical bending treatments, respectively. NW represents the “normal wood” (no-bending stimulation), CFW (resp. TFW) refers to wood tissues that experienced compressive (resp. tensile) strain only during the stem bending treatment. MSa-N and MSs-N refer to wood tissues in the neutral line during the asymmetrical (resp. symmetrical) stem bending treatment. FW (flexure wood) refers to wood tissues that alternatively experienced tension and compression strain (symmetrical bending treatment). MOR stands for the modulus of rupture