Reasons for parthenocarpy and the effects of various hormone treatments on fruit set in pepino ( Solarium muricatum Ait.)

Abstract

Stem cuttings of pepino cultivar Asca were grown under open field conditions between April and August in Antalya in 1994. Anther and pistil lengths; pollen viability; stigma receptivity; pollen tube growth in the style; meiosis in pollen mother cells; and seed set were observed. Low pollen germination percentages (< 10%) were noted during the investigation and were probably the main reason for parthenocarpy. Hand pollinated plants produced fruits with an average weight of 115.48 g, containing eight seeds compared with controls which produced seedless fruit of 73.44 g in weight. Although plants treated with 25 ppm GA 3 gave the most fruit per cluster, most of the fruits were classified as second class, because they weighed less than 50 g each. Application of 4-CPA at 15 and 30 ppm gave the heaviest fruits. No differences between treatments were found in total soluble solid content and titratable acidity.