The fruit stand out by his nutritional properties since they are rich in carotenoides and lack seeds

A team of researchers led by the Upper Council of Scientific Investigations (CSIC) has attained to obtain tomatoes without seeds and with a high content in carotenoides, characterised by his antioxidant properties. The work describes a new procedure to produce tomatoes of quality from ovaries no fecundados. Concha Gómez-Ore, researcher of the CSIC in the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants, us cleared the aims of the study and how can benefit to the industry.

In the greater part of the species of plants, the step of flower to fruit does not take place in absence of fecundación. However, in determinate conditions, exists the possibility that the ovary of a flower transform in fruit without need of fecundación, a process designated partenocarpia. “Using a tool biotecnológica, specifically a plant transgénica, what have done is to prevent the development of the anthers, the masculine part of the flower. This had tested before to obtain barren varieties in ornamental plant, but when we realise this same procedure with plants of tomato, observe that the ovary answered to the esterilidad developing without need of fecundación, giving place to fruit without seeds or partenocárpicos”, clears Concha Gómez-Ore.

Comparison between a tomato no partenocárpico (left) and one partenocárpico (right). Photo: CSIC.

The work, that has had the collaboration of the Centre of Investigation in Agrigenómica (a public consortium of the that forms part the CSIC), could have applications in the sector agronómico, since it allows a better control of the harvests. “The tomato depends enough of the environingingmental conditions, because the pollination sees affected by the temperatures and the differences of humidity. Instead in this case it loses this dependency, since the ovaries desarollan exist or no the favourable conditions for the pollination, by what the fructificación is much more efficient that in a wild plant. The performance by plant is similar, since although the fruit are something smaller, there is a greater number that in a plant polinizada usually”, adds the researcher.

With regard to the interest that can wake up for the industry of the processed of the tomato, Concepción Gómez-Ore considers that “it is very benificiosa, since it saves him the step of elimination of seeds in tamizado during the processed. And the hygiene that there are not seeds is of 100%, since when being deleted the stamens when they are very small ensures that there is not pollination”.

Detail of a plant of tomato without stamens that develops fruit in absence of pollination. Photo: CSIC.

It has achieved create plants transgénicas barren of tomato from the commercial variety known as 'Moneymaker', observing that the fruit obtained contain a series of improvements in his nutritional properties like “an elder contained of sugars, more degrees Brix and an increase of the carotenoides like the licopeno. The analyses show that the modification does not prejudice at all the quality of the fruit, but anyway they improve it”, adds the researcher. Up to now, the development of fruit partenocárpicos had reached by means of the employment of regulators of the growth of the plant. However, according to the researchers, these treatments exógenos drive generally to malformations and to low quality fruit.

Participants of the project to the doors of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants.

Although it is true that the interest by this type of plants is increasing, the legislation with regard to all what refers to transgénicos is tremendously restrictiva and in Europe is very limited in the terrain that can use these new varieties. Concepción Gómez-Ore considers that “in Europe exists still a problem of fault of communication between which investigate this type of plants and the final consumer. It has developed a big technology, but this fault of communication has done that his use do not go out of a laboratory, and is an authentic penalty”.

In these moments are carrying in the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants several lines of investigation in the creation of plants transgénicas barren, centred mainly in ornamental plants, where results fundamental to control the pollination”.