Growth of Ovaries of Parthenocarpic and Nonparthenocarpic Tomato Genotypes in Vitro

Newly opened flowers of 4 parthenocarpic tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) genotypes, PSET-1 ( pat- 2), ‘Severianin ( pat -2), RP 75/59, and Stock 2524 ( pat ), and 3 nonparthenocarpic genotypes, ‘Walter’, ‘Flora-Dade’, and ‘Homestead 24’, were excised and placed on nutrient media. The ovaries of the parthenocarpic genotypes increased in diameter and weight to a much greater extent than the ovaries of the nonparthenocarpic genotypes during a 6-day period at 25°C. In other comparisons, the parthenocarpic genotypes had larger ovaries than the nonparthenocarpic genotypes after 2, 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 days. The ovaries of buds excised 1 and 3 days before anthesis and at anthesis from PSET-1 and ‘Severianin’ were larger after 6 days than those excised from ‘Walter’ and ‘Flora-Dade’.