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Old April 9, 2010   #7
WVTomatoMan
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: West Virginia - Zone 6
Posts: 594
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Perhaps some clarification is in order.

The reason I said the safest term to use is self fertile is because that is a fact that is not debatable. The reason is that peppers, tomatoes, and the like have "perfect" flowers. Simply put a perfect flower is one that contains both the male and female reproductive parts.

In some circles the debate arises if peppers (and tomatoes) are truly self pollinating. Essentially those that question whether they're truly self pollinating raise the issue: Why can't I put pepper plants in a greenhouse and get near 100% fruit set if they're truly self pollinating? Assuming proper environmental conditions of course.

I can see their point. I didn't say I agreed with it and I raise the following myself:
1) A greenhouse is not their natural habitat.
2) Where is it written that for a plant to be truly self pollinating that it has to achieve near 100% fruit set? As long as it sets some fruit then isn't it self pollinating?

When you grow peppers indoors it is similar to a greenhouse. The following links from respectible institutions and at least one quotes scientific papers as references. I'll highlight the important part (to us) and provide the link so anyone interested can read the whole article.

With regard to pepper plants:
Unlike tomatoes, pollination of the pepper flowers occurs successfully without any outside pollination assistance required (assuming that the correct temperature targets are established). However, additional pollination assistance, bumble bees or "artificial" pollination has been demonstrated to improve flower set and eventual yield and quality of the pepper fruit (Portree 1996, Pressman et al 1998).
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/opp4523


With regard to tomato plants:
Tomato plants have both male and female reproductive organs on the same flower, so with a little help, each flower can self-pollinate. In the natural environment, wind and insects pollinate tomatoes. In a greenhouse environment, more attention must be paid to the pollination process to ensure maximum fruit set. Today, tomatoes are pollinated in greenhouses either by bumblebees or by mechanical pollinators.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ghtomato.html

You can google "pollination peppers greenhouse" and find many such articles. BTW, when you try to look up the references many times you can read part of the scientific paper for free, but to read the whole thing you have to pay.

The following pertains to tomatoes and is on the light side with no scientific backing, but is typical of those debating self pollinating:
Yup, tomatoes are self fertile, but self pollinating?...only when conditions are ideal...they often need help. "Self pollinating" is one of the myths of tomato growers.

http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm

Don't shoot the messenger (me). I didn't write this stuff I'm only reporting the opinions of others.

Randy

p.s. In the future I'm just going to say yes this is too much citing and typing just for the sake of completeness.

Last edited by WVTomatoMan; April 9, 2010 at 09:06 AM. Reason: For some reason it put a bunch of font tags in my post. I removed them.
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