Honeybee pollination of highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
RD Goodman ◽  
KA Clayton-Greene
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Highbush Blueberries ◽  
Insect Visitors

The role of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in the pollination of highbush blueberries was studied in an experimental planting at Knoxfield, Victoria. Honeybees comprised 95.4% of all insect visitors to this crop, and their foraging activity made them efficient pollinators. Plants visited by bees had a greater percentage fruit set (61 v. 18%), increased fruit numbers (1156 v. 144) and more fruit by weight (1.6 v. 0.2 kg), than did plants caged to prevent access by bees and larger insects. Bird netting did not impede pollination. Flowers inside a bird-proof cage had a greater frequency of bee visitations (8.25 v. 1.5 bees/14 plants) than did plants outside the enclosure.

Honeybee pollination of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) cv. Manor

2001 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1217 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Goodman ◽  
G. Hepworth ◽  
P. Kaczynski ◽  
B. McKee ◽  
S. Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Pieris Rapae ◽  
Fagopyrum Esculentum ◽  
Native Bees ◽  
Fagopyrum Esculentum Moench ◽  
Insect Visitors ◽  
Coccinella Transversalis

The role of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in the pollination of buckwheat cv. Manor was studied in a commercial planting at Smeaton, Victoria. Honeybees comprised 80% of all insect visitors to this crop. Other insects included ladybirds (Coccinella transversalis and C. undecimpunctata), hoverflies (Meangyna viridiceps), drone flies (Eristalis sp.), blowflies (Calliphoridae), cabbage white butterflies (Pieris rapae), small bush flies and native bees. The activity of honeybees and other insects increased seed production from 91.5 g/plot (plots closed to insects) to 180.4 g/plot (plots open to insects).

Honeybee pollination of loganberries (Rubus loganobaccus L.H. Bailey)

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
DF Langridge ◽  
RD Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Insect Visitors

The role of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in the pollination of loganberries was studied in an experimental planting at Knoxfield, Victoria. When plants were enclosed in cages to exclude bees and larger insects, there was no difference in the total numbers and weight of fruit harvested. Quality rather than quantity of fruit benefited from honeybee activity. The number of reject fruit on enclosed plants was 49.9% of the total as compared with 7.8% on open plants, corresponding respectively to 35 5% and 3- 3% by weight. The farm gate value of fruit harvested per plant was $A2.39 on open plants and $A1.28 on enclosed plants. After deducting cost of hiring bees this was computed to nett an extra return to the grower of $A1876 per hectare. Honeybees comprised 98.6% of all insect visitors to the flowers. Concentrations of airborne pollen 'were greater inside the cages than outside.

POLLEN STORAGE AND FORAGING BY HONEY BEES (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) IN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES (ERICACEAE), CULTIVAR BLUECROP

1999 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margriet H. Dogterom ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Colony Size ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Pollen Foraging ◽  
Pollen Storage ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Average Proportion ◽  
Highbush Blueberries

AbstractWe investigated pollen and nectar foraging of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., from pollen-poor and pollen-rich, small and large colonies in blooming highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Bluecrop fields. The proportion of pollen foragers differed significantly between pollen-rich and pollen-poor colonies after storage levels were manipulated, but foraging and pollen stores returned to similar levels within a week. No differences were found in small colonies, although the proportion of pollen foragers was high (46% and 45% from pollen-rich and pollen-poor colonies, respectively). Only 7.6% of pollen foragers carried Vaccinium sp. pollen in their loads independent of treatment, day, and colony size, whereas 60.8% of nectar foragers carried up to 100 tetrads of Vaccinium sp. pollen on their bodies. The average proportion of Vaccinium sp. pollen carried by nectar and pollen foragers per day and treatment was less than 10%. Our research indicates that when colonies are placed in fields of blooming blueberry flowers, pollen foraging is stimulated in large colonies with stores that are pollen poor, but predominantly for pollen types other than blueberry. This research indicates that nectar foragers are the major visitor of highbush blueberry cv. Bluecrop and suggests that increasing the number of nectar foragers rather than pollen foragers would result in more honey bees foraging on highbush blueberry, in particular cv. Bluecrop.

scholarly journals Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony strength and its effects on pollination and yield in highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11634
Author(s):  
Kennedy Judith Grant ◽  
Lisa DeVetter ◽  
Andony Melathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Colony Density ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Explained Variation ◽  
Highbush Blueberries ◽  
Pollination Season

Many pollination studies with honey bees have examined the effect of colony density on crop yield and yet overlook the effect of variation in the population size of these colonies. High colony density in northern highbush blueberry has been met with concerns from beekeepers who feel higher densities will intensify outbreaks of European foulbrood (EFB, Melissococcus plutonius, Truper and dé Clari), a honey bee brood disease. The purpose of this study was to confirm the prevalence of EFB in colonies pollinating blueberries and to determine whether field-level variation in the population of adult workers in colonies explained variation in blueberry fruit set and/or yield. We addressed these objectives over the course of two production seasons at 13 commercial blueberry fields in Oregon, USA, stocked with identical densities of 10 colonies/ha. We confirmed that all colonies had negligible symptoms of EFB at the start of blueberry pollination, but 53% of colonies in 2019 and 41% in 2020 had symptoms immediately following the pollination season. We also validated a method for rapidly assessing adult honey bee colony populations, namely by counting the rate of foragers returning to colonies, and it was found to be strongly correlated to true internal adult bee population independent of year and ambient temperature at the time of evaluation. Using returning forager counts, we determined there was considerable variation in the average population of colonies at each field, ranging from an estimated 10,300 to 30,700 adult worker bees per colony. While average colony strength did not predict variation in fruit set, it was related to variation in yield, independent of year. Our linear model of flight count (as a proxy for colony strength) predicts estimated yield increases of up to 25,000 kg/ha of blueberries could be achieved by colonies stronger than the recommended six frame minimum, suggesting that higher pollination benefits could be achieved without increasing hive density if stronger colonies are promoted.

scholarly journals Effects of CPPU Applications on Southern Highbush Blueberries

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1612-1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey G. Williamson ◽  
D. Scott NeSmith
Keyword(s):  
Growth Regulator ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Spray Volume ◽  
Highbush Blueberries ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
Spray Timing

Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of the growth regulator N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea (CPPU) on fruit set, berry size, and yield of southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum hybrids). The experiments were conducted over a period of several years in Georgia and Florida. CPPU sprays were capable of increasing fruit set and berry weight of southern highbush blueberry, although the responses to CPPU treatment were variable and appeared to be influenced by factors such as rate, spray timing, and cultivar. In Florida, high natural fruit set may have prevented increased fruit set from CPPU. A slight delay in berry maturity was noted in several experiments. Spray burn occurred on several occasions and may be related to factors such as cultivar, rate, spray volume, and use of surfactant.

Role of Invertase in Sugar Content in Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum, L.)

LWT ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Kader ◽  
B. Rovel ◽  
M. Metche
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberries

scholarly journals FRUITING IN SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES: POLLEN SOURCE AND HONEY BEE POLLINATION EFFICIENCY

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 613f-614
Author(s):  
Robert G. Danka ◽  
Gregory A. Lang
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Floral Morphology ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Bee Foraging ◽  
Highbush Blueberries ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
Net Cages

`Gulfcoast' southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum × V. darrowi) plants were placed in 3 × 6 × 2.5 m net cages with one colony of honey bees per cage and one of three pollinizer treatments: “self (other `Gulfcoast' plants), “cross/highbush” (other southern highbush cultivars), or “cross/rabbiteye” (various rabbiteye blueberry cultivars). In addition to unlimited pollination, bee foraging was controlled on individual flowers by placing small bags over corollas after 0, 1, 5, or 10 visits. Fruit set, fruit weight, fruit development period, and seed number data were taken, as well as data to relate floral morphology to duration of bee foraging. All measures of fruiting increased significantly with increased bee visitation; the threshold for significant gains in production occurred between 1 and 5 visits. Ten visits generally provided a good approximation of unlimited pollination. Set, weight, and earliness of ripening was as good, or better, for fruit derived from rabbiteye pollen compared to fruit from self- or cross/highbush-pollination.

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