POLLEN FERTILITY AND THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF VARIOUS EGGPLANT GENOTYPES UNDER LOW TEMPERATURE GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

Heating is used only in cold periods in the greenhouse vegetable production in Turkey. Consequently, low temperatures may create problems for the vegetative and generative growth of vegetables that are grown under greenhouse and tunnel conditions.

Pollen fertility and vegetative growth of 14 local and 12 foreign genotypes were tested under low temperature conditions in greenhouses during the 1990–1991 growing period. The pollen viability tests were done between February-May by the 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) method. Stem, leaf and root growth of the young plants was compared under similar conditions in another trial. In addition, earliness and total fruit yield of the genotypes were compared too.

All findings were compared with changes in temperature to look for possible correlatives between plant response and temperatures. All parameters showed differences between the genotypes; pollen fertility was especially sensitive to low temperature. Also differences in pollen fertility were determined between genotypes under low temperature conditions.