ABSTRACT
Parthenocarpy, unfruitfulness and alternate bearing are interconnected occurrences in apples. Commercialization of parthenocarpic apple cultivars will minimize the occurrence of an alternate bearing cycle thereby lessening the chances of unfruitfulness indirectly. Genetic control of parthenocarpy is not clearly understood despite the fact that seedlessness might prove a profoundly advantageous characteristic for several apple cultivars in the future. Efforts are in progress to transfer this wonderful trait of seedlessness into commercially acceptable cultivars. Furthermore, the problems of unfruitfulness and biennial bearing have been documented in apples since the very beginning of fruit domestication, and the condition is prevalent in every orchard in some form of severity. Several varieties of apple have tendency to develop these traits under specific conditions, and it has been seen that once the rhythm becomes consistent in an apple tree, it is almost impossible to reverse the trend. Considering the aforementioned background, the aim of this chapter is to present the latest insights on the potent underlying causes and management practices of the significant happenings in apples in a comprehensive and coherent manner.
