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Pumpkin fruit, seed and oil yield is independent of fruit or seed photosynthesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2011

M. KREFT ,
M. BERDEN-ZRIMEC ,
A. ZRIMEC ,
M. ERDANI KREFT ,
I. KREFT  and
S. KREFT
M. KREFT
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloska 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Celica Biomedical Center, Tehnoloski park 24, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
M. BERDEN-ZRIMEC
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Biology, Toplarniska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
A. ZRIMEC
Affiliation:
Institute of Physical Biology, Toplarniska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
M. ERDANI KREFT
Affiliation:
Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
I. KREFT
Affiliation:
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
S. KREFT*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]
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Summary

Summer pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) is an herbaceous plant with big fruits and oily seeds. Photosynthetic oxygen release was previously proposed to promote storage activity of seeds under internal hypoxia, in particular in oilseeds. Photosynthetic activity or any other function of chlorophylls from pumpkin seeds has never been demonstrated. The aim of the present research was to test whether illumination of pumpkin fruits has any influence on the yield and to measure photosynthetic activity of pumpkin seeds. The fruits grown in the dark were not significantly different from controls exposed to light in regard to fruit weight, size, number and weight of seeds or the content of lipids and pigments. Delayed fluorescence measurement showed no photosynthetic activity in pumpkin seeds in any developmental stage. Fruit wall, on the other hand, had significant photosynthetic activity. It is concluded that chlorophyll in pumpkin seeds does not mediate photosynthesis, which would in turn result in increased pumpkin yield.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 149 , Issue 6 , December 2011 , pp. 753 - 760
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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