Effects of the ms 10 gene, polygenes and their interaction on pistil and anther-cone lengths in tomato flowers

Pistil and anther-cone lengths (PL and AL) are important traits in tomato hybrid seed production with the use of male-sterile flowers and in fruit production of fertile plants under high temperature. The effects of the male sterility gene ms10, polygenes, and their interaction on tomato PL and AL and on the difference between them (DIF) were studied in two experimental populations, each obtained from a different cross and comprised of F, families derived from selfed heterozygous (Ms10/ms10) F2 plants. Data were analysed using a mixed model for a single gene, polygenes, and their interaction. The presence of the mslO gene resulted in AL and PL that were shorter by 2.5 (±0.1) mm and 1.2 (±0.1) mm, respectively, in male-sterile flowers than in male-fertile ones. Thus DIF was greater by 1.3 (± 0.1) mm in male-sterile flowers than in male-fertile flowers. ‘Main polygenic variance’ was found in all three traits. The variance due to interaction between polygenes and the mslO gene, even when significant, was always smaller than the variance due to polygenes alone, or to environment. Emasculation of the ms10 male-sterile parent appears to be unavoidable for the efficient production of hybrid seeds.