Segements and Pollination/fertilization

Its my understanding that each "ovule" is fertilized by an independant
pollen grain.  Each pollen grain grows its own pollen tube and fertilizes
one ovule.  Unless you control hand pollination well enough to only get
pollen from one male on a certain segment, all segments and all individual
seeds in each segement will be subject the genetic variability in the
mother and father.   

This is where some of the strange things that are going on in AGS genetics
are occuring.   You see great variability among seeds from one fruit.  It
is easy to see the chances for such variability when each seed was the
product of a different ovule and a different pollen grain.  

I've listened also to the preferences among growers for different numbers
of segments.   Some are convinced that  certain numbers of segments are
best 3,4, or 5.   I don't know why this is though.........anybody have a
theory why a 5 is better than a two?????  Or a 4 better than a 6?????



Rick
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