Control of Flower Number in the First Inflorescence of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.): The Role of Gibberellins

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Abstract
The number of flowers in the first inflorescence of tomato plants was increased by low temperatures and reduced by the application of GA3. The effect of GA3, was greater in a low temperature regime (12 °C minimum) than at normal temperatures (16 °C minimum). Increases in flower number could be produced by the removal of young developing leaves but the treatment was no longer effective if plants wen grown at low temperatures or were treated with GA3. Young developing leaves were shown to be sources of diffusible gibberellin-like substances. Leaves from plants grown in a normal temperature regime yielded greater amounts of gibberellin-like substances than leaves from plants grown in the low temperature regime. It is suggested that high levels of endogenous gibberellins act to reduce the number of flowers formed in the first inflorescence, and that leaf removal and low temperatures influence flower numbers by lowering levels of diffusible gibberellins in the plants.

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