Effect of methods and time of pollination on seed yield and quality parameters in cherry tomato grown under different protected conditions

A research experiment was conducted in three types of protected conditions to study the effect of different methods of pollination and time of pollination on berry setting, berry size and other seed yield and quality parameters of cherry tomato variety Pusa Selection-1 during the autumn-winter season of 2011–12 and 2012–13. Among the structures semi-controlled environmental polyhouse recorded significantly highest fruit set of mature berries (40.99%) followed by naturally ventilated polyhouse (40.51%) and insect-proof nethouse (39.25%). Among the methods of pollination, air-blowing recorded more fruit set (41.76%), berry weight (6.070 g), berry width (2.36 cm), berry length (2.22 cm), number of seeds (68.05), 100-seed weight (0.1291 g), seed yield per berry (0.0872 g) and germination (80.71%). The pollination at 11.00 am had given better result under all three conditions. The seed contributing traits were lower under insect proof nethouse (P3) indicating its limitations for cherry tomato seed production.