Stenospermocarpy

Stenospermocarpy is the biological mechanism that produces parthenocarpy (seedlessness) in some fruits, notably many table grapes.

In stenospermocarpic fruits, normal pollination and fertilization are still required to ensure that the fruit 'sets', i.e. continues to develop on the plant; however subsequent abortion of the embryo that began growing following fertilization leads to a near seedless condition. The remains of the undeveloped seed are visible in the fruit.[1]

Most commercial seedless grapes are sprayed with gibberellin to increase the size of the fruit and also to make the fruit clusters less tightly packed. A new cultivar, 'Melissa', has naturally larger fruit so does not require gibberellin sprays.[2]

Grape breeders have developed some new seedless grape cultivars by using the embryo rescue technique.[3] Before the tiny embryo aborts, it is removed from the developing fruit and grown in tissue culture until it is large enough to survive on its own. Embryo rescue allows the crossing of two seedless grape cultivars.

Seedless grape cultivars

Seedless grapes are divided into white, red and black types based roughly on fruit color. The most popular seedless grape is known in the United States as 'Thompson Seedless', but was originally known as 'Sultana'. It is believed to be of ancient origin. It is considered a white grape, but is actually a pale green. Other white cultivars are 'Perlette', 'Menindee Seedless', 'Interlaken', 'Himrod', 'Romulanus', 'Lakemont', 'Fayez', and 'Remailey Seedless.' The most popular red seedless in the U.S. is 'Flame Seedless'. Other red cultivars are 'Crimson Seedless', 'Ruby Seedless', 'Suffolk Red', 'Saturn' and 'Pink Reliance'. Some black cultivars are 'Black Beauty', 'Black Monukka', 'Concord Seedless', 'Glenora' and 'Thomcord.'

See also

References
  1. Soule, J. (1985), Glossary for Horticultural Crops, New York: Wiley, ISBN 978-0-471-88499-6, cited in Huang, Jing-Hao; Ma, Wei-Hong; Liang, Guo-Lu; Zhang, Ling-Yuan; Wang, Wei-Xing; Cai, Zi-Jian; Wen, Shou-Xing (2010), "Effects of low temperatures on sexual reproduction of 'Tainong 1' mango (Mangifera indica)", Scientia Horticulturae, 126 (2): 109–119, doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2010.06.017
  2. Ramming, D.W. 1999. New grape trio. Agricultural Research 47(10): 23.
  3. Wood, M. 1997. Mouth-watering new fruits Agricultural Research 45(8): 9-10.
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