Effects of temperature and irradiance on stigma exsertion, ovule viability and embryo development in tomato

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Abstract
Plants of tomato cvs Marroquí, Moneymaker and Red Top were grown under four experimental conditions: high temperature (33/23°C, day/night) with summer light (467 nmol m_2s_l) (HTNI), high temperature (33/23°C) with low light (280 |nmol irT2s_l) HTLI), low temperature (27/4°C) with winter light (291 nmol m_2s_l) (LTNI), and low temperature (27/4°C) with low light (175 |imol nT2s_l) (LTLI), to study effects on stigma levels (defined as the difference between pistil length (PL) and stamen length (SL)) and ovule viability, in flowers at five phenological stages of flower-opening. Other plants of the same cultivars were treated by LT during the initial phase of embryo development and compared with controls grown at normal temperatures. In fully opened flowers of ‘Marroquí’ and ‘Moneymaker’, stigma levels were highest under HT, although stigmatic exsertion was significant only in ‘Moneymaker’. Stigma levels of ‘Red Top’ depended little on temperature. Stigma levels produced by LI were higher than those of NI, but illumination.had less effect than temperature. Variations of stigma level with treatment depended more on SL than PL. Exsertion followed treatment only at phenologically advanced stages (petals and sepals open more than 45°). Temperature and light did not affect ovule viability, although HTLI showed least ovule viability. Ovules under HT were significantly more receptive early in development than those under LT. Winter failures of tomato fruit-set appear not to result from effects on stigma level or ovule viability, or by an early interruption of embryo development.

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