= Parthenocarpy
<Parthenocarpy> is <fruit> development without <fertilization>. Because no fertilized <ovule> is needed to initiate the <fruit>, it can produce a seedless <fruit>. It is distinct from <apomixis>, which produces an <embryo> or <seed> without the usual sexual process: a seedless <fruit> and an asexually formed <seed> solve different biological problems.
In <tomato>, increased <auxin> or <gibberellin> signalling can trigger <parthenocarpy>. Experiments with single and combined <mutations> affecting the two signalling systems separated the growth programme of the <ovary (botany)> from the usual requirement for <fertilization>. This makes <parthenocarpy> a useful test of how reproductive development is initiated.<The Interaction between DELLA and ARF IAA Mediates Crosstalk between Gibberellin and Auxin Signaling to Control Fruit Initiation in Tomato by Jianhong Hu and others>[2018, abstract and mutant analysis: additive effects on parthenocarpy]{ref}
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