Fruit Set, Pollen Fertility, and Combining Ability of Selected Tomato Genotypes under High-temperature Field Conditions

Abstract

Selected tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) genotypes were evaluated for their fruit-setting ability under high-temperature field conditions. A temperature-controlled greenhouse study was conducted to determine the percent fruit set from the total number of flowers and fruit produced per plant. Ratings for set obtained under high-temperature field conditions were significantly (P = 0.001) correlated with percent fruit set determined under similar greenhouse conditions. Most of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) selections, Beaverlodge lines, `Nagcarlan', and `Red Cherry' could be considered heat-tolerant. Small-fruited, abundantly flowering genotypes were less affected by heat stress than larger-fruited cultivars. Prolonged periods of high temperature caused drastic reductions in pollen fertility in most genotypes, except `Red Cherry' and L. esculentum var. cerasiforme (PI 190256). Stigma browning and stigma exsertion commonly occurred on all lines, except AVRDC CL-5915-553 and PI 190256. Diallel analyses indicated that pollen fertility and fruit set under high field temperatures were primarily under additive gene control.