GROWTH, POLLEN QUANTITY AND QUALITY AND FRUIT CHARACTHERISTICS OF SOME PARTHENOCARPIC AND NON-PARTHENOCARPIC EGGPLANTS IN UNHEATED GREENHOUSE

The effects of low temperature on plant growth, pollen viability, pollen quantity and fertility, fruitting of parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic eggplant have been studied. A total of 16 genotypes were used. Whether the differences of vegetative and generative developments of parthenocarpic and non-parthenocarpic eggplants will be used or not as morphological marker for selection at breeding studies have been researched. The responses of the genotypes were found significantly different for vegetative growth, pollen viability and fertility under low temperature conditions. While the fruit setting of non-parthenocarpic genotypes were affected negatively by the low temperature, fruits of parthenocarpic genotypes were good quality as in fertilized or applied plant growth regulators. Although, a local variety Topan 374, showed tendency to parthenocarpy and its fruits were as big as fertilized ones, the quality of its fruit was not good enough. The results showed that oval shaped eggplants were more less affected by low temperature and high tendency to the parthenocarpy than the others.