Within-bunch variability in banana (cv Cavendish Grande Naine) fruit size is a result of a negative gradient in fruit weight and size from the top to the bottom of the bunch. A histological study of pulp development combined with fruit growth measurements (diameter, length and weight) was carried out to define development phases and to date the end of cell multiplication in pulp. To relate pulp cell number (PCN) and fruit filling rate, we applied variations in the source/sink ratio before and after the end of pulp cell division using fruit pruning, bunch bagging and leaf shading. For a fruit located at the top of the bunch, PCN on a fruit radius and starch grain number per cell increased from 70 degree-day (dd.) after flower emergence to approximately 350 dd.. At 200 dd., starch grain size and pulp dry matter weight started increasing. A development lag of about 50 dd. appeared between top and bottom fruits. This lag led to a lower cell number on a fruit radius at 350 dd. in bottom fruits. Pulp digestion and cell counting confirmed this result and showed that early bunch bagging increases PCN. As fruit volume at the end of cell division and PCN were strongly correlated, PCN was estimated for each treatment. Estimated PCN was found to be well correlated to fruit filling rate for different source/sink ratios. (Texte intégral)