The causes of fruit abortion, in eggplants, may be related to the absence of viable pollen under high temperatures, common in the Northeast region of Brazil, resulting in a reduction in the number of fruits per plant and consequently in productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the techniques of identification of PV – pollen viability in eggplant, as well as to correlate these results with the FFI – Fruit Fixation Index, NFP – Number of Fruits per Plant and PP – Production per Plant obtained in cultivation under high temperatures. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil, between September and December 2017. The experiment design was a randomized block design with four replications, in the 7 x 4 factorial scheme (7 genotypes x 4 evaluation of PV) containing four plants per experimental plot. The results showed that the different techniques used detected viable pollens in the genotypes evaluated in smaller and in larger proportions. The highest percentages were observed in the treatments with CA – Carmine Acetic and AS – Alexander Solution and these overestimated the PV (>90%). In the test with TTC – 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (25%), the viability estimation was equivalent to the in vitro germination test, however the genetic correlations were null and/or very low between these techniques and the FFI, NFP and PP traits. The genetic correlations between the results obtained with CA and AS with FFI, NFP and PP under conditions of high temperatures were high and positive and suggest that the selection based on PV only, except with the use of TTC solution, may be efficient for indirect selection of genotypes with high FFI, NFP and PP.

In the northeast of Brazil, the yield of eggplant has been unpredictable, especially when the flowering coincides with the hottest period of the year. The objective of this study was to evaluate eggplant genotypes for tolerance to high temperatures and to identify correlations between traits that aid the indirect selection of genotypes tolerant to high temperatures. Twenty-two genotypes were arranged in a randomized block design with four replications conducted in a greenhouse and in the open field, both located at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, between December 2016 and May 2017. Positive correlations were obtained for the pairs, number of fruits per plant (NFP) x fruit fixation index (FFI), NFP x production per plant (PP) and PP x FFI and negative for the pair NFP x PP. The associations among the traits pollen viability (PV), FFI, NFP and PP were low and/or negative for all pairs in both environments and indicates that the indirect selection for FFI and PP through PV is not efficient. Higher values for PV, NFP, PP were observed in greenhouse cultivation, while in the field the genotypes had the best performance for fruit weight (FWe) FFI, fruit length (FL), fruit width (FWi) and length/width ratio of fruit (FLWR). In high temperature conditions, the genotypes CNPH 135, CNPH 93, CNPH 79, CNPH 84, CNPH 71, CNPH 71, CNPH 668, Ajimurasaki F1 and Kokushi Onaga F1 with good FFI and CNPH 135 with the highest FFI, PP, PV and PWe. The FFI in 45.4% of the genotypes under high temperatures was low, around 21.3 and 40.5%. In the field, genotypes CNPH 84 and CNPH 668 stood out with the best FFI (> 60%).

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The results show that the culture of the melon in hydroponic medium using different substrates, and increasing concentration of NaCl salts, indicated that when the electrical conductivity (EC) levels increases as 2.0; 5.0; 8.0 and 11.0 dS.m -1 , the melon growth was higher by 2.88 cm per day, with EC of 2 Sm -1 . Thereafter, decreases the growth rate of melon as 2.33, 1.77 and 1.23 cm per day, when EC's goes from 5, 8 and 11 dS.m-1, respectively. In addition, the substrates sand, coconut, respectively presented a growth rate of 2.33; 1.77 and 1.23 cm per day. The increase in salt concentration in the solution negatively influenced the morphology and color of the melon leaves. The substrates washed sand, coconut powder and Basaplant presented no significant difference in the effects on the melon culture. The substrate type did not influence the effect of the salt on the melon.