Open field (summer) cultivation
The open field trial was carried out under open field conditions at Monsampolo del Tronto (approval of the Italian Ministry of Health B/IT/99/21). Two transgenic parthenocarpic hybrids were tested: the hybrid P1 (Tal1/1 × DR2 iaaM #34-1) with elongated fruits and the hybrid P10 (UGA × Tal1/1 iaaM #1-1) with sub-oval fruits were compared to their homologous non-transgenic controls C1 (DR2 × Tal1/1) and C10 (UGA × Tal1/1), respectively. The UGA line has oval dark purplish fruits and it has been provided by Dr. S.C. Phatak. A complete randomized block design with the hybrids replicated four times was adopted. Each experimental plot measured 11.7 m2 and contained 30 plants in a double row. Transplanting was performed on May 10th.
Early spring production consisted of the first four harvests (i.e. 4 out of 16 harvests during the whole production cycle), while early summer production, whose cultivation cycle consists of ten harvests, corresponds to the first three harvests. For all trials the number and weight of fruits were recorded. In addition, fruit sample for each harvest and replication was cut to check for the presence of seeds. Data were computed for the early harvesting time and for the whole harvesting season. Analysis of variance was performed according to a randomized complete block design. Duncan's Multiple Range Test (P = 0.05) was used for means separations.