Effect of parthenocarpic fruit development on the occurrence of severe microcracking in cherry tomato

The relationships among the severity of microcracking (MC), parthenocarpy, and fruit size in a cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivar ‘Chika’ were investigated.
Of the plants grown in a greenhouse between March 25 and July 25, 2022, three plants were allowed to undergo natural pollination (control), while four plants were treated with 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) to facilitate fruit development.
At the red ripe stage, all the fruits were harvested and classified into three groups based on the MC severity: MC0 (fruits without MC), MC1 (fruits with mild MC), and MC2 (fruits with severe MC). The fruits were examined for characteristics, including fruit weight, number of seeds, cuticle membrane, and number of epidermal cells, were examined.
The results indicated that the incidence of MC2 was lower in the 4-CPA treatment compared to that in the control treatment.
MC2 fruits exhibited significantly smaller fruits and fewer seeds compared to MC0 and MC1 fruits.
The higher incidence of MC2 in the control treatment could be explained by the relatively high proportion of small fruits resulting from naturally occurring parthenocarpy.
Further, seedless but normally sized fruits (>15 g) exhibited MC1 but not MC2. Thus, the findings indicated that rather than parthenocarpy poor development of fruits contributed to the occurrence of severe MC.

IV Asian Horticultural Congress – AHC2023

R. Hosoi, K. Ikeda, T. Nishizawa, T. Nabeshima

cuticle membrane, epidermal cell, 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, number of seeds, physiological disorder

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2024.1404.148