Fruit formation in the absence of fertilisation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pepper plant showing the trait fruit formation in the absence of fertilisation wherein said trait is obtainable by introgression from a plant grown from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41678, NCIMB 41680, or NCIMB 41684. The invention further relates to progeny of the plant, propagation material for producing the plant, to fruits of the plant and to a food product comprising the fruit or parts thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pepper plant comprising a genetic determinant which causes parthenocarpic fruit formation when homozygously present, wherein said determinant is obtainable by introgression from a plant grown from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41678, NCIMB 41680, or NCIMB 41684. 
     
     
         2 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the genetic determinant is introgressed from a plant grown from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41678, NCIMB 41680, or NCIMB 41684. 
     
     
         3 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , obtainable by:
 a) growing plants from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41678, NCIMB 41680, or NCIMB 41684;   b) preventing pollination of the plants;   c) selecting plants producing fruits as plants showing parthenocarpic fruit formation;   d) crossing a plant selected in step c) with a plant not carrying the genetic determinant to obtain a F1 population;   e) selfing plants from the F1 to obtain a F2 population; and   f) repeating steps b) and c) to identify plants showing parthenocarpic fruit formation.   
     
     
         4 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein pollination is prevented by emasculating the flowers. 
     
     
         5 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein pollination is prevented by using a pepper plant in step a) which is male sterile. 
     
     
         6 . The pepper plant as claimed  claim 1 , wherein the parthenocarpic fruits have a size and/or shape similar to that of fruits formed after fertilisation. 
     
     
         7 . A progeny of a pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the progeny plant is capable of parthenocarpic fruit formation. 
     
     
         8 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mature fruit of the plant is green, yellow, orange, red, ivory, brown, or purple. 
     
     
         9 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mature fruit of the plant is either a sweet pepper including a dolce-type pepper, a bell pepper, a big rectangular pepper, a conical pepper, a long conical pepper or a blocky-type pepper. 
     
     
         10 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pepper plant is a plant from the species  Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chacoense, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens.    
     
     
         11 . The pepper plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pepper plant is a hybrid. 
     
     
         12 . A seed capable of growing into the plant as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A parthenocarpic pepper fruit of a plant as claimed in  claim 1 , or of a plant grown from a seed as claimed in  claim 12 . 
     
     
         14 . The pepper fruit as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the fruit is at least 90% seedless, preferably at least 95% seedless, more preferably at least 98% seedless, even more preferably at least 99% seedless, most preferably 100% seedless. 
     
     
         15 . A propagation material capable of growing into a plant as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A propagation material derived from a plant as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the propagation material comprises the genetic determinant as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . The propagation material as claimed in  claim 15  or  16 , wherein the propagation material is selected from the group consisting of microspores, pollen, ovaries, ovules, embryos, embryo sacs, egg cells, cuttings, roots, root tips, hypocotyls, cotyledons, stems, leaves, flowers, anthers, seeds, meristematic cells, protoplasts, and cells. 
     
     
         18 . A tissue culture of propagation material as claimed in  claim 15  or  16 . 
     
     
         19 . A tissue culture of propagation material as claimed in  claim 17 . 
     
     
         20 . A food product comprising a fruit or parts thereof as claimed in  claim 13 , optionally in processed form.