A connection between F2 fruit size & seed locules in F1 fruit?

[dfollett]

I’ve noticed something as I have been saving seed from different F1 crosses I grew out this summer. All the F1s I’m referring to are crosses between a micro multiflora that produces cherry-size fruit and various large-fruited indeterminate varieties. All the cherry-size fruit produced by the mama are typical cherry tomatoes with two seed locules in each fruit. The papas of the crosses are larger fruited indeterminates with numerous seed locules in each fruit.

I always assumed fruits from an F1 should be consistent (but then, I am an amateur with not a lot of knowledge about tomato genetics). As I’ve been saving seed, I’ve noticed that in some – but not all – of the F1s of the crosses the fruit from a single plant have varying numbers of seed locules. In some it is either 2 or 3 locules. In others, it is 2, 3 or 4, and in one case fruits with 2, 3, 4 or 5 locules from the same plant. One cross had nothing with 2 locules and everything had either 3 or 4 locules.

There was not a strong correlation between the fruit size and the number of seed locules. Perhaps on average, those with more locules were larger than those with fewer, but I certainly couldn’t guess before cutting into them which would have which. On one plant, the largest single fruit I harvested had two locules while the majority had three and more had four than had two.

Now to my question (I tend to ramble): When I grow out the F2s, is there any expectation of larger fruit on plants grown from seed out of fruits that had more locules than those that had only two like the typical cherry? What about fruit from seed of the 5-locule fruit versus that from the 2-locule fruit from the same F1 plant? Or, will all the fruit have the same potential regardless of the number of locules in the F1 fruit?

I kept the seed separate based on the number of locules and am wondering if it was a waste of effort. I'll have an idea a year from now as I grow out some F2, but I'd be interested in the insights of those of you who might know the answer. Is there is a likelihood of getting to larger fruit at F2 and beyond more quickly by focusing on seed from the fruits with more locules?

Thanks in advance for any insights.