Fruit-set of unpollinated ovaries of Pisum sativum L. : Influence of plant-growth regulators.

The development of parthenocarpic fruits of Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska was induced by the application of different plant-growth regulators in aqueous solution to the emasculated ovaries in untopped plants. At least one compound in each of the groups of auxins (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), cytokinins (benzyladenine), and gibberellins (gibberellic acid) was found active. Gibberellic acid (GA3), however, was the only substance which produced pods similar to those of fruits with seeds. The length of the pods obtained by GA3 was a linear function of the logarithm of the concentration of GA3 in the solution. The effect of GA3 (at a concentration which produced 50% of the maximum pod length) was enhanced by a simultaneous application of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Abscisic acid (ABA) counteracted the effect of GA3 and of topping. The results suggest that gibberellins and ABA may exert a major regulatory control in natural fruit-set. Peas can be used for the assay of fructigenic activity and is an advantageous material for the study of the mode of action of gibberellins on fruit-set.