Question

In which of the following plants, it is undesirable to obtain seedless fruits?
A. Tomato
B. Orange
C. Watermelon
D. Pomegranate

Answer 1

Hint: Parthenocarpy is the phenomenon behind most seedless fruits. Parthenocarpy is fruiting without the union of a male and a female egg cell. The lack of fertilization means that there are no seeds in the fruit. If there are seeds, they are not viable and are not capable of germinating.

Complete answer: Parthenocarpy is the natural or artificially induced production of fruit without fertilization of ovules, which makes the fruit seedless. Stenospermocarpy may also produce apparently seedless fruit, but the seeds are actually aborted while they are still small. Parthenocarpy occasionally occurs as a mutation in nature; if it affects every flower the plant can no longer sexually reproduce but might be able to propagate by apomixis or by vegetative means. Seed lessness is seen as a desirable trait in edible fruit with hard seeds such as banana, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit. Parthenocarpy is also desirable in fruit crops that may be difficult to pollinate or fertilize, such as fig, tomato, and summer squash. In dioecious species, such as persimmon, parthenocarpy increases fruit production because staminate trees do not need to be planted to provide pollen. Parthenocarpy is undesirable in nut crops, such as pistachio, for which the seed is the edible part. Pomegranate is considered to be a berry where it possesses several seeds whose epicarp is the edible part. As the seeds of the pomegranate are the viable/commercially required part of the fruit, parthenocarpy is undesirable.
Therefore, the correct option is D.

Note: Watermelon is the most desirable fruit for parthenocarpy as the seeds are a form of inconvenience when consuming the fruit. Traditional watermelons have multiple, harp seeds dispersed randomly throughout the fruit. Parthenocarpic watermelons are more preferred than traditional ones. Similarly, for tomatoes and oranges, parthenocarpy is preferred as the seeds have higher acidic content especially in tomatoes which is undesirable.