mutant tomatoes?

Discussion in 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening' started by victoriarose, Apr 26, 2007.

  1. victoriarose

    victoriarose Member

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    Can anyone explain what is happening when a tomato has seeds inside that have sprouted before the tomato is even cut open?
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    When I find this I take it as an indication that the tomato has been ripe for awhile/
     
  3. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Was it home grown or a bought one? May be it was given the long life treatment if a commercial one. and it did not rot to release the seeds so they started to grow any way

    Liz
     
  4. vancanjay

    vancanjay Member

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    Whenever I find a fruit or vegetable trying so hard to continue It's gene pool I plant it. I ended up with some great cultivars that way.
     
  5. victoriarose

    victoriarose Member

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    As you can see by the photo this tomato was store bought and it is not over ripe or rotting. I'm just wondering what the "long life treatment" is and how will that treatment affect my life expectancy.
     
  6. Megami

    Megami Active Member 10 Years

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    I've had this happen before too and wondered why... because, tomato seeds have a germination inhibitor around them, and they shouldn't ever sprout inside the fruit unless it's gone off... but the ones I've had like that were not off or bad, just had these weird seedlings inside.

    I've planted a few of the seedlings and they've grown like crazy. Will be interesting to see what the fruit looks like when they come.
     

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  7. vancanjay

    vancanjay Member

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    These are modern day tomatoes, designed for a generation of people who just can't wait for seeds to germinate! It's odd indeed.
     
  8. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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  9. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    And by way of simple explanation as to what's happening - the plant hormones in these tomatoes are off-kilter.
     
  10. Megami

    Megami Active Member 10 Years

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    Do you know what caused the plant hormones to go crazy?
     
  11. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Probably an unwanted by-product of artificial selection, like disease susceptibility in modern roses.
     
  12. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Quoting from Bewley, JD. 1997. Seed Germination and Dormancy. The Plant Cell, Vol. 9, 1055-1066. (PDF)

    So, to correct myself, it could be the environment surrounding the seed, the seed or both with the ABA strangeness. From what I understand from reading that article, the most likely culprit is a mutation in the seeds.
     

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