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Old June 24, 2011   #11
carolyn137
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Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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Quote:
Originally Posted by larskyler View Post
@nctomatoman

Not trying to be rude or call you out or anything, but I am a scientist and I just find it hard to believe that a plant that has both male and female parts cannot self pollinate. Now mind you I am a soils guy and not a plant guy, so if you could help me out here I would appreciate it.
Below is a link to the best article I know of about Tomatillos and I've linked to it here in the tomatillo Forum before as have others.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/p...tml#Production

Please read the section on genetic incompatibility despite the fact that the blossoms have both male and female sexual organs. And the article also mentions that a single plant can be cross pollinated by another Physalis so many meters away, I forget the exact distance.

If you click on the Tomatillo Forum you'll see several others threads and most of them discuss the issue of self incompatibility and also link to the above article.

This isn't a matter of someone being a scientist, or not, as you alluded to above, for self incompatibility is a fact. Craig is a scientist with an advanced degree, as am I, as are many who participate at Tville, but tomatillos appear to have a very advanced degree since they have done away with self pollenization despite having male and female sexual organs within a single blossom.

In some of the other threads in this Forum you'll also see that Craig has extensive experience in growing tomatillos as do some others here at Tville.

Hope that helps.
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