How are Seedless Fruits Produced?!

We all love fruits even if we don't take them daily. There are lots of juicy fruits that are good and beneficial for the body. However, taking them is sometimes frustrating as you need to spit out seeds every now and then as you drink, suck or eat them as seen especially in oranges, grapes, watermelons etc.

Fruits are seed-bearing structures developed from the ripened ovaries of a plant after flowering and fertilization by pollens.
Seed ensures the continuity of the existence of a plant and avoid it's extinction. It's the plants means of survival on Earth.

As mutation occur in animals, so is same in other living things including plants. Recently, fruits known to have tens of seeds now rarely have or them at all or have them in tinier sizes and this is usually due to the genetic mutation of the plants that produce them. Some phenomena that can lead to production of seedless fruits include:

• Usually before a fruit is borne by a plant, the plant produces a flower which is fertilized by pollen and a fruit with seeds in it emerges. However, some fruits develop without going through fertilization and go on to produce seedless fruits. This phenomenon is known as Parthenocarpy.
  This could bring an end to the life of the plant as it can no longer sexually reproduce, although they might survive through vegetative means.

• In another phenomenon, they are fruits that are fertilized but still pathernocarpic. Pollution and fertilization has occurred, but as the fruit develops, the embryo that forms seeds are aborted (stops developing) and leads to a near seedless condition. These seeds might be negligible but its under-developed remains should still be visible in the fruit. This phenomenon is known as Stenospermocarpy.

These kinds of fruits are more pleasing and desirable for consumers as one tends to enjoy the juiciness of the fruit in peace without constantly spitting out seeds.

Due to increase in demand for these modified fruits, farmers and scientists cultivate more of these plants by using vegetative means including grafting and also modify the plant's genetics (genetic engineering) to meet the consumers needs.

References:

1. http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Seedless-Fruits-and-Vegetables.html
2. https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-are-seedless-fruits-made
3. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedless_fruit
4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-seedless-fruits-ar/