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nafex - [NAFEX] Conference pears set fruit without pollen

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  • From: "Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>
  • To: "'NAFEX'" <NAFEX@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Conference pears set fruit without pollen
  • Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 10:12:08 -0700

Parthenocarpic means the ability to set fruit without pollination.
Conference is a pear variety that has this ability. The parthenocarpic
fruits are seedless and are smaller than fruit of the same variety that
is successfully fertilized, at least for pears. I have Conference and
Flemish Beauty pears in my backyard, but only Conference set fruit this
year. I think the fruit that did set are not the result of pollination.
I will know for sure in the fall when I cut into them and look at the
seeds.

I had a thought this morning that one could make seedless pears on
purpose, just like seedless oranges. After thinking about this I
realized that although the pears would be seedless, they still would
have the papery pieces in the core that normally surround the seeds
(endocarp). I don't see anything desirable about seedless pears other
than the ability to have a pear harvest even when spring conditions
prevent pollination from occurring. That often comes in handy here in
the wet Pacific Northwest.

-Mark Lee, Seattle





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