Parthenocarpy in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), its inheritance pattern and association with marker characters

Seedless tomatoes resulting from genetic parthenocarpy would be beneficial in the food preparation and process products industries. Present investigation was carried out to determine the inheritance of parthenocarpy in tomato variety ‘Oregon Pride’ and to examine is linkage with two marker genes viz., stem pigmentation and leaf character. Parthenocarpy in ‘Oregon Pride’ was facultative in nature. Expression of parthenocarpy in three segregating populations indicated involvement of an independent gene designated as “ii”, which influenced the gene pat-2 having major effect for the control of parthenocarpy. No linkage was detected between parthenocarpy (pat-2 pat-2 ii ii) and two marker genes, stem pigmentation (aw+/aw) and leaf character (c+/c).