‘Bud to fruit’—hormonal interactions governing early fruit development

Hormones are fundamental architects of plant reproduction, orchestrating the transition from pollination to fruit set. Recent advances have underscored the central roles of auxin and gibberellins in ovary growth, seed development, and parthenocarpy, while their intricate interplay with cytokinin, ethylene, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid fine-tunes early fruit development. A dynamic regulatory network involving transcription factors, miRNAs, and hormone-responsive genes modulates these processes, ensuring coordinated cellular events across diverse fruit types. Despite significant progress, the complexity of hormonal interactions and their species-specific nuances remain areas of active research. This review consolidates current insights into hormone-mediated fruit set, unraveling key molecular pathways and outstanding questions, with a focus on improving fruit production and crop resilience through targeted agricultural interventions.