Which of these plants will lose their economic value if its fruits are as a result of induced parthenocarpy?

The correct option is Pomegranate.

To understand why this is the correct answer, let's break down the concepts of parthenocarpy, the economic value of these fruits, and how they relate to each other:

1. What is Parthenocarpy?
Parthenocarpy is the process by which fruits are developed without fertilization of the ovules. This leads to the production of seedless fruits. Parthenocarpy can occur naturally or can be artificially induced using plant growth hormones (like auxins or gibberellins).

2. Analyzing the Options:
Let's look at the edible and economically valuable parts of each of the given fruits:

• Banana: The edible part is the fleshy pulp. Seedless bananas are highly preferred by consumers, meaning induced parthenocarpy increases or maintains their economic value.
• Orange: The edible part is the juicy juice sacs (juice vesicles). Seedless oranges are highly valued by consumers because they are easier to eat and process, so seedlessness increases their economic value.
• Grape: The edible part is the fleshy pericarp. Seedless grapes are extremely popular in the market, so parthenocarpy increases their economic value.
• Pomegranate: The economically valuable and edible part of a pomegranate is the seed coat (testa), specifically the juicy, fleshy aril surrounding each seed. Since induced parthenocarpy results in seedless fruits, a parthenocarpic pomegranate would lack seeds and, consequently, would not develop the fleshy arils. This would render the fruit empty and completely valueless.

Therefore, induced parthenocarpy would lead to the loss of the economic value of the Pomegranate because its primary edible and commercial parts are the seeds (arils) themselves.