The importance of the seeds in the control of fruit-set
and development has long been recognized, and it is
thought that Ihis control is mediated by hormones or
other growth factors from the fertilized ovules (see reviews
by Nitsch 1970, Goodwin 1978, Varga and
Bruinsma 1990). There is evidence that in pea, the
growth of the pod may be regulated by gibberellins
(GAs) from the seeds. For instance, killing the ovules of
pollinated pea ovaries two days after anthesis prevents
further growth of the pod, which resumes after applying
GAs to the ovary (Eeuwens and Schwabe 1975, Sponsel
1982). Emasculated and unpollinated pea ovaries also'
develop parthenocarpically after GA application (Garcia-
Martinez and Carbonell 1980). Young fertilized
ovules contain GAs at a relatively high concentration