OPEN POLLINATION EFFICIENCY ON FIELD-GROWN TOMATO COMPAREDWITH ISOLATED UNDER SIMILAR CONDITION

The experiment was conducted at Agriculture Faculty Research Station at Mu`tah University (Karak, Jordan) during 2007/2008 growing season to study and evaluated the effect of natural pollination agents on tomato production parameters cultivated in open field compared with those isolated with muslin cloth without pollinator agents in similar field condition. Five rows for natural open-pollinated and five caged tomato rows were evaluated in the field. Both treatments were conducted under normal Mediterranean climate conditions. Data of 15 plants were randomly selected in each row were recorded and analyzed statistically. Pollination effectiveness was compared among the treatments by using the percentage of fruit set, fruit weight, fruit size, fruit firmness and the number of seeds per fruit. Results showed that the open and naturally pollinated field-grown tomato which exposed to different pollination agents, extremely had higher fruit set percentage, which increased double of those isolated by muslin cloth. Open pollinated field-grown tomato treatment inflorescence fruits weight and number was two and half fold higher than in the isolated plants. Also, fruits size and seed number per fruits indicated a significant increasing for the open field-grown tomato compared with the isolated plant. Fruits were also significantly rounder and better appearance.