Articles
GROWTH, FLOWERING, AND QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF POLLEN OF TOMATO PLANTS GROWN UNDER SALINE CONDITIONS
Article number
412_58
Pages
484 – 489
Language
Abstract
Plants of cv. ‘Moneymaker’ were grown in gravel culture for 10 weeks, beginning at the 8th leaf stage.
They received a basic nutrient solution, either with or without the addition of NaC1 (10mM). Plant growth was evaluated from the number of leaves developed per plant, flowering from the number of clusters per plant and the number of flowers per cluster, and fruit-set potential form the quantity and the quality of pollen produced.
Plants with the salt treatment grew slower than the control plants, and there was a close correlation (r = 0.93) between the number of days of salt treatment and the decrease in the number of leaves relative to control plants.
The mean number of clusters per plant was not reduced by the salt treatment but the number of flowers per cluster decreased progressively in the salt-treated plants compared to the controls; this reduction in the number of flowers was noticeable for all the clusters studied.
On average, salt-treated plants produced about 50% fewer flowers per plant than the controls.
While the mean numbers of pollen grains per flower in the five clusters examined were constant in the control treatment, those of salt-treated plants decreased progressively form the beginning to the end of the salt treatment, when the pollen count was only about 30% of that of the control plants.
In contrast, pollen fertilites of both salt-treated and control plants were very similar.
Reduction in the number of fruits per plant produced by saline conditions was probably due to a decrease in the number of flowers per plant, and not to lowering of pollen fertility.
They received a basic nutrient solution, either with or without the addition of NaC1 (10mM). Plant growth was evaluated from the number of leaves developed per plant, flowering from the number of clusters per plant and the number of flowers per cluster, and fruit-set potential form the quantity and the quality of pollen produced.
Plants with the salt treatment grew slower than the control plants, and there was a close correlation (r = 0.93) between the number of days of salt treatment and the decrease in the number of leaves relative to control plants.
The mean number of clusters per plant was not reduced by the salt treatment but the number of flowers per cluster decreased progressively in the salt-treated plants compared to the controls; this reduction in the number of flowers was noticeable for all the clusters studied.
On average, salt-treated plants produced about 50% fewer flowers per plant than the controls.
While the mean numbers of pollen grains per flower in the five clusters examined were constant in the control treatment, those of salt-treated plants decreased progressively form the beginning to the end of the salt treatment, when the pollen count was only about 30% of that of the control plants.
In contrast, pollen fertilites of both salt-treated and control plants were very similar.
Reduction in the number of fruits per plant produced by saline conditions was probably due to a decrease in the number of flowers per plant, and not to lowering of pollen fertility.
Authors
K. Grunberg, R. Fernández-Muñoz, J. Cuartero
Keywords
Lycopersicon esculentum, NaC1, fruit set, leaf number
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