Researchers have developed a method to grow tomatoes without fertilization. The result is a seedless variety with first-class nutritional properties and antioxidants.
Normal development of the fruit depends on pollination and fertilization under favourable environmental factors. Plant hormones such as gibberellin and auxine play a fundamental role in proper growth of the fruit after pollination. In most plants, transformation of blossom to fruit isn’t possible without fertilization, but under certain circumstances it is. This process is called parthenocarpy.
Concha Gómez-Mena, researcher at CISC, explains that in these genetically engineered tomato plants the ovary seems to come to normal development, but the fruit contains no germinating seed. Therefore, the plant does not need to be fertilized and develops as a parthenocarpische fruit (without seed).
This study also opens up new possibilities for application in agriculture and horticulture, such as better control over the harvest, higher nutritional values and health for consumers, and so on. The research was done by scientists from the Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular the Plantas (Institute of molecular and cellular plant research) part of the Universidad Politécnica (Polytechnic University) of Valencia and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC (Higher Council for Scientific Research), including the Centro de Investigación and Agrigenómica (Genomics Research Center).
Source: hortoinfo.es
