Browse Articles

Article|19 Feb 2025|OPEN
Sonic-induced cellular vibrations unzip intertwined anther cone trichomes to trigger floral self-pollination and boost tomato fruit size 
Sidra Anwar1,2 ,† , Happy1 ,† , Angus Dingley1,3 , Thailammai Vinoth4 , Weiguang Liang1 , Brian M. Sindel3 and Laurel George1 , Chun H. Wang4 , Christopher I. Cazzonelli,1 ,
1Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
2Present address: Agriculture and Food Research Unit, CSIRO, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
3Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
4School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
*Corresponding author. E-mail: c.cazzonelli@westernsydney.edu.au
Both authors contributed equally to the study.

Horticulture Research 12,
Article number: uhaf053 (2025)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhaf053
Views: 2206

Received: 14 Aug 2024
Accepted: 13 Feb 2025
Published online: 19 Feb 2025

Abstract

Artificial tomato pollination methods rely on cellular vibrations from air displacement, electric vibration wands and trellis tapping, which have potential to spread pathogens. Bioacoustic frequencies emitted from buzzing bees to ultrasonication can vibrate plant cells without physical contact. The effects of frequency-dependent sonication on the poricidal anther cone sheath, self-pollination, seed set, and fruit size remain unclear. We engineered devices to investigate the frequency-dependent power-law behaviour of floral living cells from greenhouse-grown tomato varieties—contrasting contact-induced oscillations from a vibrating wand and mechanical shaker arm with precision noncontact sonication emitted by a subwoofer speaker. The velocity and acceleration of vibrating flowers and impact on poricidal anther cone sheath cellular structures, self-pollination, and fruit development were assessed. Sonic frequencies ranging from 50 to 10 000 Hz increased pollination, fruit size, weight, and seed set in Sweetelle, Endeavour, Paulanca, and Managua commercial varieties. Scanning electron microscopy revealed sonication separated the intertwined trichomes and unzipped their meshed network that locks the lobes of the anther cone sheath together thereby releasing pollen grains. Near ultra-sonic frequencies boosted fruit size, whereas seed set remained constant thereby challenging the floral cell power-law rheological characteristics under different frequency scales. Tomato flowers displayed a low power-law cell behaviour to frequency-dependent sonication enabling its effectiveness as a precision noncontact technology to boost pollination and tomato fruit size without a substrate-borne component.