RECIPROCAL CROSS ANALYSIS OF GROWTH COMPONENT STAGES IN TOMATOES UNDER TWO TEMPERATURE REGIMES

The nuclear and cytoplasmic effects on seven growth component stages in tomatoes were studied in a reciprocal cross experiment involving two parental cultivars, Bonny Best and Immur Prior Beta, and their reciprocal hybrids. These were grown under the two temperature regimes in greenhouses, 17 °C–21 °C and 10 °C–13 °C respectively. There was evidence that cytoplasmic effects were relatively important for some of the characteristics under stress temperature condition. It is suggested that the cytoplasmic effects and genic-cytoplasm interactions should be considered during selection for tomatoes under subnormal temperature conditions.