| heal.abstract |
Fruit set, fruit weight and the weight and number of seeds per fruit of aubergine cvs Emi and Long Negro were recorded in relation to style length during two seasons of cultivation for seed under high ambient temperature. Fruit set was maximal in flowers in which the stigmata were situated close to the anther pores at the time of pollen release. Short-styled (<0.5 cm) pistils failed to set fruit and in very long-styled (>1.2 cm) pistils, the stigmata of which projected over 0.2 cm beyond the anther pores at anthesis, fruit set was reduced. Fruit weight and the weight and number of seeds per fruit varied according to style length in a similar way, but seed size and the rate and % germination were unaffected. In a closed environment with high ambient temperature, relatively little air movement and no insect activity it appears that the proximity of the stigma to the anther pores at anthesis influences fruit set, fruit size and seed content, but not seed quality. |
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