Cell count and size in relation to fruit size among strawberry cultivars

• Published in: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science Vol. 117; no. 6; pp. 946 - 950
• Main Authors: Cheng, G.W. (University of California, Parlier, CA.), Breen, P.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria, VA American Society for Horticultural Science 01.11.1992
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ANALISIS CUANTITATIVO; ANALYSE QUANTITATIVE; ANATOMIA DE LA PLANTA; ANATOMIE VEGETALE; Biological and medical sciences; CELLULE; CELULAS; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; DIMENSION; DIVISION CELLULAIRE; DIVISION CELULAR; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; FRAGARIA ANANASSA; FRUITS; FRUTAS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; GRAINE; SEMILLA; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; VARIACION GENETICA; VARIATION GENETIQUE; VARIEDADES; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; VARIETE; Yield, quality, earliness, varia; Fragaria; Genetic variability; Fruit; Small fruits; Rosaceae; Cell division; Genotype; Duration; Spacing; Number; Fruit crop; Volume; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Achene; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0003-1062; 2327-9788
• DOI: 10.21273/jashs.117.6.946

Fruit size, number of receptacle cells, and mean cell size were determined throughout development of secondary fruit of three day-neutral strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivars grown in a greenhouse. Cells were counted after enzymatic separation of receptacle tissue, and mean cell volume was estimated from cell count and receptacle tissue volume. Size of mature fruit was small (3.8 g) in 'Tillikum', medium (11.5 g) in 'Tristar', and large (15.6 g) in 'Selva'. Fruit size was correlated with the number of achenes per berry. Mature fruit of 'Tillikum' had a lower fruit fresh weight per achene and lower achene population density (achenes per square centimeter) than the larger-fruited cultivars. The average number of cells per mature fruit was 0.72 X 10(6), 1.96 X 10(6), and 2.94 X 10(6) for 'Tillikam', 'Tristar', and 'Selva', respectively. The relative difference among cultivars in the number of receptacle cells was established by the time of anthesis. In all cultivars, cell division was exponential for 10 days following anthesis and ceased by the 15th day. Mean cell volume increased slowly during active cell division, but rose rapidly and linearly for 10 days after cell division halted. Mean cell volume of all cultivars increased 12-fold after anthesis and was approximately 6 X 10(6) micrometers(3) in mature fruit. The genotypic variation in the size of mature fruit was not the result of large differences in either duration of cell division after anthesis or mean cell volume, but rather was primarily due to differences in the number of receptacle cells established by anthesis