Honey Bee Visitors and Fruit Set of Cantaloups1

1965 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 968-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Mcgregor ◽  
M. D. Levin ◽  
Robert E. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set

Vertebrate pollination of the endemic Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae) on Réunion

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothée Le Péchon ◽  
Mickaël Sanchez ◽  
Laurence Humeau ◽  
Luc D.B. Gigord ◽  
Li-Bing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Breeding System ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Pollination Ecology ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Compatibility Studies ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Pollen Vector

Abstract:The pollination ecology and breeding system of Trochetia granulata (Malvaceae), an endemic tree species from Réunion were studied. In 2010–2011, compatibility studies were conducted on a total of 154 flowers from 35 different individuals using three different hand pollination treatments: (a) autofertility, (b) self-pollination and (c) cross-pollination. During the period, we also studied the pollination ecology of T. granulata. During 48 h of video recordings, we tracked flower visits to T. granulata in six different sites and studied the behaviour of the visitors. The results from the hand-cross experiments show that T. granulata is self-compatible (60.8% fruit set) but cannot produce fruit (5.4% fruit set) without the visit of a pollen vector. During surveys, four different visitors were reported: the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera), two endemic species of white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus borbonicus and Z. olivaceus) and the endemic Réunion day gecko (Phelsuma borbonica). This study documented a new case of vertebrate-pollination by lizard and birds in an insular context. These interactions might be linked to several uncommon floral traits of Trochetia species.

scholarly journals Influence of Honey Bee Pollination on Triploid Watermelon Fruit Set and Quality

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1118C-1118
Author(s):  
S. Alan Walters
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Hollow Heart ◽  
Pistillate Flower ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Male Flowers ◽  
Triploid Watermelon

Cucurbit vegetable crops, such as watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), require insect pollination for fruit set, which is usually achieved by placing honey bee (Apismellifera) colonies in a field or relying upon natural bee populations. Pistillate (or female) watermelon flowers require multiple honey bee (or other bee) visitations after visiting staminate (or male) flowers for fruit set, and pollination is even more of a concern in triploid watermelon production since staminate flowers contain mostly nonviable pollen. Six honey bee visitation treatments, 1) no visitation control, 2) two visits, 3) four visits, 4) eight visits, 5) 16 visits, and 6) open-pollinated control, were evaluated to determine the effect of honey bee pollination on `Millionaire' triploid watermelon fruit set, yield, and quality utilizing `Crimson Sweet' at a 33% pollinizer frequency. No differences (P> 0.05) between honey bee pollination treatments were observed for `Millionaire' quality characters (hollow heart disorder or percent soluble solids). The lowest pistillate flower abortion rate (20%) and subsequently the greatest triploid watermelon yields (fruit numbers and weights per hectare) occurred with the openpollinated control compared to all other honey bee visitation treatments. Fruit abortion rates decreased linearly, while fruit numbers and weights per hectare increased linearly as number of honey bee visits to pistillate flowers increased from 0 (no visit control) to the open-pollinated control (≈24 visits). This study indicated that >16 honey bee visits are required to achieve maximum triploid watermelon fruit set and yields, which is twice the number of honey bee visits required by diploid watermelons to achieve similar results.

Autonomous self-pollination and insect visitation in a saprophytic orchid, Epipogium roseum (D.Don) Lindl.

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Zhou ◽  
H. Lin ◽  
X.-L. Fan ◽  
J.-Y. Gao
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Apis Cerana ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Resource Limitations ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Asian Honey Bee ◽  
Insect Visitors

Reproductive biology of saprophytic plants has been poorly studied. Epipogium roseum (D.Don) Lindl. is a small saprophytic orchid that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia, Australia and Africa. The floral biology and insect visitation of E. roseum were studied in Xishuangbanna, south Yunnan Province, China. E. roseum possesses an obligate self-pollination system, in which the degenerative rostellum has lost its function as a physical barrier separating the stigma and stamens (pollinia), allowing contact between the stigmatic secretions and the pollinia during bud development. Flowers of E. roseum usually open and successfully attract insect visitors. The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana cerana) was the only visitor observed, and regularly visited flowers of E. roseum for nectar. However, these bees did not carry pollinia away after visiting the flowers due to the absence of a viscid disk in E. roseum; the results of experiments also indicated that the Asian honey bee does not contribute to fruit set in E. roseum. The visiting frequency of Asian honey bees to flowers of E. roseum varied both spatially and temporally. E. roseum does not undergo outcrossing mediated by insects and is adapted to obligate self-pollination. We suggest that this may have evolved because of the uncertainty of pollinator services associated with its saprophytic lifestyle. Our current studies do not support the hypothesis that obligate autogamy is favoured by myco-heterotrophic plants due to resource limitations.

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 Apple, Prebloom Evaluation of Insecticides, 1995

1996 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-30
Author(s):  
Larry A. Hull
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Experimental Plot ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Cross Section Area ◽  
Section Area ◽  
Golden Delicious ◽  
Plot Design

Abstract Two experimental and one registered insecticide were applied prebloom to evaluate their activity on a number of early season pests and to determine if honey bee activity at bloom was adversely affected. The experimental plot design was a RCB, with 5 insecticide treatments and a control, replicated 4 times. Plots consisted of 2-tree plots, 1 tree each of the cultivars ‘Yorking’ and ‘Golden Delicious’. The trees were planted at a spacing of 20 X 20 ft and were 22 yr old. Experimental sprays were applied with a Myers Mity Mist airblast sprayer calibrated to deliver 100 gpa at 2 mph. All treatments were applied at the pink stage (26 Apr) of ‘Golden Delicious’ development. A regular fungicide schedule (Dithane 75DF, Nova 40WP and Ziram 76WP) was maintained throughout the season. Post-bloom insecticides (Guthion 50WP) were applied at 1- to 2-wk intervals beginning at petal-fall in early May. Effectiveness of the sprays for RAA control was evaluated by counting the total number of RAA-injured clusters/tree and total number of injured apples per tree (both cvs) in a 5 min sample per tree for each variable. WALH was sampled by counting the number of nymphs present on 25 injured leaves per tree (cv ‘Yorking’). Also, 200 leaves per tree (cv ‘Yorking’) were randomly sampled for evidence of stippling caused by the feeding of WALH. Effectiveness of the test chemicals on the ERM was evaluated by counting the mites on samples of 25 random leaves/tree, 100 leaves/treatment. STLM was evaluated on 6 Jun by counting the number of tissue-feeding mines per 3 minutes around the periphery of the ‘Yorking’ tree/replicate. A sample of tissue-feeding mines was collected and the percentage of parasitized STLM determined. Honey bee sampling was conducted by making a number of 1-min examinations of each replicate tree during the blossom period. The number of blossoms on 2 tagged limbs per replicate tree was counted on 28 Apr and a measurement of limb cross-section area was taken. On 3 Jul, the number of apples that set on each tagged limb was counted. All insecticide treatments effectively controlled RAA with an application at the pink stage. WALH populations were lower on trees treated with BSN-2894. The high rate of BSN-2894 was more effective on STLM than Provado or Aphistar. None of treatments adversely affected honey bee activity during bloom or subsequent fruit set. Pest pressure was moderate.

scholarly journals Wild Pollinators Enhance Fruit Set of Crops Regardless of Honey Bee Abundance

Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 339 (6127) ◽  
pp. 1608-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Garibaldi ◽  
I. Steffan-Dewenter ◽  
R. Winfree ◽  
M. A. Aizen ◽  
R. Bommarco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Bee Abundance

scholarly journals BEE-SCENT FOR IMPROVED POLLINATION OF WATERMELON

HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 488g-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. Elmstrom ◽  
D. N. Maynard
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Southwest Florida ◽  
Set Size ◽  
Seed Content ◽  
Solids Content

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, requires insects, most commonly honey bees, for pollination and fruit set. The transfer of an adequate amount of pollen is essential to ensure optimum fruit set, size, and shape. To encourage bee visits and the transfer of pollen, two applications of Bee-Scent*, a bee attractant, at 2.47 liter·ha-1 were made to watermelon on five farms in central and southwest Florida. Honey bee, Apis melifera L., activity was monitored for two days following each application and yield and fruit quality were determined. On only a few occasions was increased honey bee activity noted. Application of bee attractant increased total yield in one field in central Florida and resulted in an increase in early yield at all three locations in southwest Florida. Soluble solids content of mature fruit was not directly affected by treatment. Treatment increased the seed content of fruit from three of five farms.

scholarly journals Toxicity of fungicides to honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and their effects on bee foraging behavior, pollen viability and fruit set on blooming apples and pears

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Mayer ◽  
G. Kovács
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Pollen Viability ◽  
Bee Foraging

Fungicides fosetyl-AL, triadimefon, dodine, mycobutanil and fenarimol were tested for honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) mortality and effect on bee foraging, pollen viability and fruit set in blooming apple and pear. None of the materials were toxic to honey bees or reduced pollen gemination or fruit set.  

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