In the early 2020s, Hebrew University scientists edited 2 tomato genes involved in flower development and fertilization. Now, the plants can produce seedless fruit without fertilization and deliver more than 18 times as many fruits early in winter

Tomato gene editing: A tomato has to pass through several stages before it becomes fruit. Its flower must develop properly, pollen needs to be released at the right time and fertilization has to take place. When temperatures fall, that process can become harder, leaving plants with few or no fruits.

Researchers at Hebrew University have identified a genetic system that helps coordinate these stages of reproduction, as per a report. By editing two closely related tomato genes, they produced plants capable of forming fruit without fertilization and saw a dramatic increase in fruit production during the early winter growing season, as per an EurekAlert report.