Department of Botany, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-1321l9, India
Seven alternate day applications of morphactin could induce the formation of lesser number of large, composite, floral baskets and large, parthenocarpic fruits with distinct ridges in tomato. Single morphactin treatment, however, significantly checked the abscission and shedding of flowers thereby increasing the number of fruits per plant. The quantity of fruits was maximum in GA3-treated followed by control and morphactin-treated plants. However, early initiation of flowers and fruit-setting and delayed ripening could be observed in morphactin-treated plants. Fruits of GA3-treated plants exhibited comparatively higher values of pyruvic acid and glyoxylic acid in comparison to controls and morphactin-treated one which had large concentrations of glycine-serine and ±-alanine.
