Effect of Older Fruits on Abortion and Abscisic Acid Concentration of Younger Fruits in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

In two cultivars of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., Redkloud and Redkote) the older fruits growing at the base of racemes aborted less frequently than the younger ones above them. When older fruits at the base of racemes were removed, the abortion rate of the younger ones was reduced and their abscisic acid (ABA) concentration was lowered. Thirteen days after fruit removal, 36 to 45% of the younger fruits remained viable on treated plants while less than 12% of the younger fruits were viable on control plants. On these intact controls the ABA concentration of young fruits was at least twice that of defruited plants. A similar difference was found when the ABA content was expressed on a per fruit basis, suggesting a direct regulatory influence of older fruits over the ABA content of younger fruits.