Regulation of Low Temperature-induced Malformation of Tomato Fruit by Plant Growth Regulators

Abstract

Low temperature-induced fruit malformation in tomato was studied from plant hormonal view point. Treatment of TIBA (2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid) and NAP (sodium N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid), auxin-transport inhibitors, increased locule numbers and induced severe malformation including catfaced and strawberry fruits with ovary splits, and oblate and fasciated fruits. Bendroquinone (2-benzimidoyl-3hydroxyl-1, 4-napthoquinone), which is considered to have the similar action mechanism to TIBA and NPA, also showed the same effects. Auxins, PCPA (p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid), 2, 4-D (2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and 2, 4, 5-T (2, 4, 5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) reduced oblate and triangular types of malformation by decreasing locule numbers. Gibberellin (GA3) induced ovary split but CCC [(2chloroethyl) trimethylammonium chloride] and SADH (succinic acid-2, 2-dimethylhydrazide), which are considered to inhibit gibberellin synthesis, could not reduce low temperature-induced fruit malformation.

Low Temperatures Induce Rough Blossom-end Scarring of Tomato Fruit during Early Flower Development

“…1) are in strong contrast to the results of Saito and Ito (1971), who reported that 6 days at 17/8C induced doubling of the average number of locules per fruit in their material. Multilocular genotypes, with eight to 16 locules, like those used by Saito and Ito (1971), apparently were more sensitive to low temperature-induced locule proliferation than genotypes with only a few (three to seven) locules per fruit (Asahira et al, 1982;Rylski, 1979;Sawhney and Polowick, 1985). In the present experiment, increases in average BSI did not coincide with increases in the average number of locules in the same fruit (Fig.…”

“…The occurrence of cat facing has been associated with prolonged cool weather early in the growing season (Knavel and Mohr, 1969;Sherman and Allen, 1981;Stevenson and Heimann, 1981). In addition to catfacing, long-term 5 weeks) low-temperature treatments, applied between cotyledon expansion and anthesis, caused fascination (Sawhney and Polowick, 1985), triangular fruits (Hosoki et al, 1985), navel-like scars, puffiness, seedless fruits (Rylski, 1979), and "strawberry" fruits with split ovary (Asahira et al, 1982). Most of these malformations were attributed to an increase in the number of locules (Asahira et al, 1982;Kaneme and Itagi, 1966;Sawhney and Polowick, 1985).…”

“…In addition to catfacing, long-term 5 weeks) low-temperature treatments, applied between cotyledon expansion and anthesis, caused fascination (Sawhney and Polowick, 1985), triangular fruits (Hosoki et al, 1985), navel-like scars, puffiness, seedless fruits (Rylski, 1979), and "strawberry" fruits with split ovary (Asahira et al, 1982). Most of these malformations were attributed to an increase in the number of locules (Asahira et al, 1982;Kaneme and Itagi, 1966;Sawhney and Polowick, 1985). Since each of these experiments involved longterm, low-temperature treatments, many fruits were affected and no detailed information was obtained on the stage of flower development sensitive to low-temperature induction of fruit mal-formations.…”

Relationship between Endogenous Hormone and Nutrient Levels in shoot Apices of Tomato and Occurrence of Fruit Malformation, and its Control by Auxin Spray and Nutritional Restrictions

“…The seedlings at 2-true leaf stage were cultured in Mie University nutrient solution of half strength (1) in which only nitrogen was modified to double amount or one fif tyth amount ; NH4C1 and NaNO3, or NaHPO4.12 H20 and CaC12.2 H2O were supplemented respectively to maintain a balance with the other elements (P and Ca).…”

The Tomato Crop

“…For instance, seedless fruits produced under low temperatures frequently suffer some type of malformation (Asahira, Hosoki and Shinya, 1982) as do fruit induced by growth regulators (Osborne and Went, 1953). Various fruit abnormalities often accompany parthenocarpic fruit production.…”