Genotypic differences in sweet cherry fruit size are primarily a function of cell number

Abstract

Understanding the genetic control of fruit size in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is critical for maximizing fruit size and profitable fresh market production. In cherry, coordinated cycles of cell division and expansion of the carpel result in a fleshy mesocarp that adheres to a stony endocarp. How these structural changes are influenced by differing genetics and environments to result in differing fruit sizes is not known. Thus, the authors measured mesocarp cell length and cell number as components of fruit size. To determine the relative genotypic contribution, five sweet cherry cultivars ranging from ≈1 to 13 g fresh weight were evaluated. To determine the relative environmental contribution to fruit size, different-size fruit within the same genotype and from the same genotype grown in different environments were evaluated. Mesocarp cell number was the major contributor to the differences in fruit equatorial diameter among the five sweet cherry cultivars. The cultivars fell into three significantly different cell number classes: ≈28 cells, ≈45 cells, and ≈78 cells per radial mesocarp section. Furthermore, mesocarp cell number was remarkably stable and virtually unaffected by the environment as neither growing location nor physiological factors that reduced final fruit size significantly altered the cell numbers. Cell length was also significantly different among the cultivars, but failed to contribute to the overall difference in fruit size. Cell length was significantly influenced by the environment, indicating that cultural practices that maximize mesocarp cell size should be used to achieve a cultivar's fruit size potential.