scholarly journals Buzzing Wild Bee Visits Enhance Seed Set in Eggplant, Solanum melongena

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
U. J. M. Shanika R. Jayasinghe ◽  
T. H. Saumya E. Silva ◽  
W. A. Inoka P. Karunaratne
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Solanum Melongena ◽  
Handling Time ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Flower Age ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set ◽  
Poricidal Anthers

Sixty percent of the angiosperms with poricidal anthers are buzz-pollinated by bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apiformes). Plant taxa with Solanum-type flowers have larger anthers and shorter filaments. Solanum melongena (Solanaceae) is more commonly and efficiently pollinated by buzz pollinators. The present study documented bees and their diurnal pattern of visitation to flowers, relationship between their handling time and flower age, and the effect of bee visits on fruit and seed set in S. melongena in two sites in Kandy District. Efficiency of buzz pollination over pollination in the absence of bees was determined using open buds and buds covered with pollinator exclusion bags. On average, 150 days were taken to complete the life cycle of Solanum melongena. Three buzzing bees and two nonbuzzing bees in site I and five buzzing bees and two nonbuzzing bees in site II were recorded. Handling time of Pachynomia sp. and Hoplonomia westwoodi indicates that bees spend more time at new flowers than at old flowers. Handling time is higher in the smaller bee, Pachynomia sp., than in the larger bee, H. westwoodi. Statistical data on pollinator exclusion experiment revealed that the fruit set and seed set of S. melongena are enhanced by buzz-pollinating bees.

scholarly journals Phloem-Feeding Herbivores Affect Floral Development and Reproduction in the Etruscan Honeysuckle (Lonicera etrusca Santi)

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 815
Author(s):  
Sandra V. Rojas-Nossa ◽  
José María Sánchez ◽  
Luis Navarro
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Floral Development ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Complex Landscape ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set ◽  
Phloem Feeding ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

Floral development depends on multifactor processes related to genetic, physiological, and ecological pathways. Plants respond to herbivores by activating mechanisms aimed at tolerating, compensating, or avoiding loss of biomass and nutrients, and thereby survive in a complex landscape of interactions. Thus, plants need to overcome trade-offs between development, growth, and reproduction vs. the initiation of anti-herbivore defences. This study aims to assess the frequency of phloem-feeding herbivores in wild populations of the Etruscan honeysuckle (Lonicera etrusca Santi) and study their effects on floral development and reproduction. The incidence of herbivory by the honeysuckle aphid (Hyadaphis passerinii del Guercio) was assessed in three wild populations of the Iberian Peninsula. The effect of herbivory on floral morphology, micromorphology of stigmas and pollen, floral rewards, pollination, and fruit and seed set were studied. The herbivory by aphids reduces the size of flowers and pollen. Additionally, it stops nectar synthesis and causes malformation in pollen and microstructures of stigmas, affecting pollination. As a consequence, fruit set and seed weight are reduced. This work provides evidence of the changes induced by phloem-feeding herbivores in floral development and functioning that affect the ecological processes necessary to maintain the reproductive success of plants.

scholarly journals Efficiency of Buzzing Bees in Fruit Set and Seed Set ofSolanum violaceumin Sri Lanka

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. M. U. M. Wanigasekara ◽  
W. A. I. P. Karunaratne
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Handling Time ◽  
Apis Dorsata ◽  
Buzz Pollination ◽  
Vegetable Crop ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Plant-pollinator interactions are often considered as tightly coevolved, mutualistic relationships. The present study aimed at determining the flower visiting bees of the vegetable crop,Solanum violaceum, and the efficiency of buzz pollination by bees on fruit and seed production in Sri Lanka. Seven bee species:Hoplonomia westwoodi,Amegilla comberi,Patellapis kaluterae,Xylocopa tenuiscapa,Apis dorsata,Trigona iridipennis, andCeratina hieroglyphicavisited the flowers ofS. violaceum, and the first four species were buzzing bees. Buzzing bees were the first to visitSolanumflowers and were followed by nonbuzzing bees. Handling time ofH. westwoodiandP. kaluteraevaried with the availability of pollen in anthers that deplete with the age of flower and stayed longer at new flowers than at old flowers. Handling time of the larger buzzing bee,H. westwoodi, was higher than that of the smallerP. kaluterae. The fruit set, seed set, and seed germinability in flowers visited by buzzing bees were significantly higher than those of the flowers bagged to exclude pollinators.

Pollination and seed production in five boreal species of Vaccnium and Andromeda (Ericaceae)

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 1363-1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heléne Fröborg
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Vaccinium Uliginosum ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Understory Shrubs ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Using experimental manipulations, I examined if pollen quality affected fruit and seed production in five ericaceous understory shrubs in a coniferous forest in central Sweden. Flowers of Vaccinium myrtillus L., Vaccinium uliginosum L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Vaccinium oxycoccos Gil., and Andromeda polifolia L. were (treatment 1) open-pollinated, (treatment 2) bagged without further treatment, (treatment 3) bagged and self-pollinated, (treatment 4) cross-pollinated with pollen from neighbouring plants, or (treatment 5) supplied with pollen from distant plants. Finally, flowers were (treatment 6) open-pollinated with a supply of extra pollen of distant origin. To investigate pollen or resource limitations to fruit and seed production, V. vitis-idaea was subjected to partial flower removal followed by open- and hand-pollination. Fruit and seed set were estimated for each treatment. The main conclusion is that natural levels of outcrossing are sufficiently high for full seed production and that the availability of pollen is not limiting in natural habitats. There were significant reductions in fruit and seed set after self-pollination in V. myrtillus. Fruit set was reduced in V. vitis-idaea, and V. uliginosum failed to set fruit after self-pollination. Self-pollination caused a decreased seed set in A. polifolia. There was no significant variation across treatments in V. oxycoccos. Since fruits tend to develop regardless of seed number, resources are likely to limit seed production in species with costly fruits. Keywords: self-fertility, pollination, Vaccinium, fruit set, seed set.

scholarly journals Poolen Source Affects Yield Components and Reproductive Fertility of Four Half-high Blueberry Cultivars

1994 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Harrison ◽  
James J. Luby ◽  
Peter D. Ascher
Keyword(s):  
Yield Components ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Seed Formation ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Berry Weight ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Pollination of the half-high blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L./V. anugustifolium Ait.) cultivars St. Cloud, Northsky, Northcountry, and Northblue with self, outcross, and outcross/self pollen mixtures suggests that outcross fertilization maximizes percent fruit set, berry weight, seeds per berry, and seeds per pollination while minimizing days to harvest. Based on these results, mixed plantings of at least two blueberry cultivars are recommended for these cultivars. Fruit and seed set were negatively associated with increased percentages of self pollen in outcross/self pollen mixtures. These responses were linear for `Northblue' due to a tendency to parthenocarpy, and nonlinear for `St. Cloud', `Northsky', and `Northcountry', due to low fruit set following self-pollination. These data indicate that post-fertilization abortion affected seed formation, which was, in turn, correlated positively with fruit set.

scholarly journals Inoculation of pear flowers with Metschnikowia reukaufii and Acinetobacter nectaris enhances attraction of honeybees and hoverflies, but does not increase fruit and seed set

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250203
Author(s):  
Agneta Colda ◽  
Sofie Bossaert ◽  
Christel Verreth ◽  
Bart Vanhoutte ◽  
Olivier Honnay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
World Population ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Currently, one of the most important challenges is to provide sufficient and affordable food and energy for a fast-growing world population, alongside preserving natural habitats and maintaining biodiversity. About 35% of the global food production depends on animals for pollination. In recent years, an alarming worldwide decline in pollinators has been reported, putting our food production under additional pressure. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find sustainable ways to ensure this crucial ecosystem service. Recent studies have shown that floral nectar is generally colonized by microorganisms, specifically yeasts and bacteria, which may alter nectar chemistry and enhance attraction of pollinators. In this study, we investigated changes in pollinator foraging behavior and pollination success in European pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars ‘Regal Red’ and ‘Sweet Sensation’ (red sports of ‘Doyenné de Comice’) after flower inoculation with the typical nectar-inhabiting microorganisms Metschnikowia reukaufii and Acinetobacter nectaris, and a combination of both. Pollination success was monitored by measuring the number of flower visits, fruit set and seed set in two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020. Results revealed that application of a mixture of M. reukaufii and A. nectaris resulted in significantly higher visitation rates of honeybees and hoverflies. By contrast, no effects on flower visits were found when yeasts and bacteria were applied separately. Fruit set and seed set were not significantly affected by any of the inoculation treatments. The only factors affecting fruit set were initial number of flower clusters on the trees and the year. The absence of treatment effects can most likely be attributed to the fact that pollination was not a limiting factor for fruit set in our experiments. Altogether, our results show that inoculation of flowers with nectar microbes can modify pollinator foraging patterns, but did not lead to increased pollination success under the conditions tested.

scholarly journals Pistil Biology of ‘WA 38’ Apple and Effect of Pollen Source on Pollen Tube Growth and Fruit Set

Agronomy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Sara Serra ◽  
Stefan Roeder ◽  
Ryan Sheick ◽  
Stefano Musacchi
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Pollen Tube Growth ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Hormone Signaling ◽  
Apple Variety ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set ◽  
Fruitlet Abscission ◽  
Pollination And Fertilization

‘WA 38’ (‘Enterprise’ × ‘Honeycrisp’) is an apple variety that is characterized by a peculiar self-thinning trait in which most of the fruitlets naturally shed within the first 8 weeks after bloom, leaving some clusters empty, but most with 1–2 apples. This study aimed to investigate potential causes for the relatively low fruit set observed in ‘WA 38’ by investigating its flower biology. This study comprised three objectives: (1) To characterize the effective pollination period (EPP) of ‘WA 38’ by studying stigmatic receptivity, pollen tube growth, and ovule longevity in ‘WA 38’ flowers, (2) to compare the pollen tube growth of 5 fully compatible pollinizer varieties in ‘WA 38’ pistils, and (3) to evaluate fruit and seed set resulting from controlled pollinations with 5 fully compatible pollinizer varieties. The results showed ‘WA 38’ EPP was approximately 3.2 days in 2019 and 1.4 days in 2020, and that differences in pollen sources did not attribute significant differences in fertility in ‘WA 38’ flowers. The results of this study suggest mechanisms other than pollination and fertilization, such as competition among fruitlets within a cluster or hormone signaling, may have a stronger impact on ‘WA 38’ fruitlet abscission.

scholarly journals Reciprocal Heterospecific Pollen Interference among Alien and Native Species

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva M. Malecore ◽  
Sylvie Berthelot ◽  
Mark van Kleunen ◽  
Mialy Razanajatovo
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Alien Plants ◽  
Phylogenetic Distance ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Heterospecific Pollen ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

1. Heterospecific pollen interference has recently been proposed as a mechanism contributing to the success of alien invaders, as heterospecific pollen of alien plants interferes with the reproduction of natives by reducing fruit and seed set. However, no study has looked at the opposite interaction. Moreover, few studies have considered the roles of phylogenetic and trait distances between pollen donors and recipients. 2. We did a large multi-species experiment in which we used alien and native species both as pollen recipients and as pollen donors, and included phylogenetic as well as trait distance as explanatory variables. 3. We found that both alien and native recipients suffered from heterospecific pollen from donors of the opposite status in terms of seed and fruit set. Phylogenetic distance and trait distance both affected heterospecific pollen interference, but the effect depended on recipient and donor statuses. 4. We conclude that heterospecific pollen interference affects both native and alien recipients, thus indirectly altering community composition and increasing biotic resistance against invaders.

scholarly journals Large population sizes mitigate negative effects of variable weather conditions on fruit set in two spring woodland orchids

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Jacquemyn ◽  
Rein Brys ◽  
Olivier Honnay
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Global Circulation Models ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Global circulation models predict increased climatic variability, which could increase variability in demographic rates and affect long-term population viability. In animal-pollinated species, pollination services, and thus fruit and seed set, may be highly variable among years and sites, and depend on both local environmental conditions and climatic variables. Orchid species may be particularly vulnerable to disruption of their pollination services, as most species depend on pollinators for successful fruit set and because seed germination and seedling recruitment are to some extent dependent on the amount of fruits and seeds produced. Better insights into the factors determining fruit and seed set are therefore indispensable for a better understanding of population dynamics and viability of orchid populations under changing climatic conditions. However, very few studies have investigated spatio-temporal variation in fruit set in orchids. Here, we quantified fruit production in eight populations of the orchid Orchis purpurea that does not reward pollinators and 13 populations of the rewarding Neottia ( Listera ) ovata during five consecutive years (2002–2006). Fruit production in large populations showed much higher stability than that in small populations and was less affected by extreme weather conditions. Our results highlight the potential vulnerability of small orchid populations to an increasingly variable climate through highly unpredictable fruit-set patterns.

scholarly journals Why are flowers ephemeral? Effects of old flower microbes on fruit set in a wild ginger with one-day flowers, Alpinia japonica (Zingiberaceae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoko Sakai ◽  
Masayuki Ushio ◽  
Nuria Jimenez Elvira
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Plant Reproduction ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Sequence Variants ◽  
Flower Buds ◽  
Short Lifespan ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Flowers are colonized by and inhabited by diverse microbes. Plants rapidly replace flowers of short lifespan, and old flowers senesce. This may contribute to avoiding adverse effects of the microbes. In this study, we investigate if the flower microbial community on old flowers impedes fruit and seed production in a wild ginger with one-day flowers. We inoculated newly opened flowers with old flower microbes, and monitored the effects on fruit and seed set. We also assessed prokaryotic communities on the flowers using amplicon sequencing. We found five bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) whose proportions were increased on the inoculated flowers. These ASVs were also found on flower buds and flowers that were bagged by net or paper during anthesis. Fruit set was negatively associated with the proportions of these ASVs, while seed set was not. The results suggest that old flowers harbor microbial communities different from those at anthesis, and that the microbes abundant on old flowers negatively affect plant reproduction. Though the short lifespan of flowers has gotten little attention, it might be an essential defense mechanism to cope with antagonistic microbes that rapidly proliferate on the flowers.

scholarly journals REPRODUCTIVE EXPRESSION OF GENETIC INCONGRUITY IN Fl PROGENY OF INTERSPECIFIC CROSSES OF VITIS

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 601d-601
Author(s):  
Debbv M. Filler ◽  
James J. Luby ◽  
Peter D. Ascher
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Interspecific Hybrids ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Interspecific Crosses ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Sib Families ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Fruit And Seed Set

Three classes of crosses using four genotypes of V. riparia (wild Riverbank grape) as maternal parents were evaluated for evidence of reproductive expression of genetic incongruity. The classes were: I V. riparia x V. vinifera cultivars (European domesticated grape); II V. riparia x French Hybrids (complex interspecific hybrids); III V. riparia x V. riparia. Percent fruit set and seeds per berry were recorded for two years. If incongruity is a factor in interspecific grape crosses, then the values for these traits would be expected to be lower in classes I and II than in class III. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences for some half-sib families. Fruit and seed set were lower in classes I and II than in class III, suggesting that incongruity is operative in wide grape crosses. In the process of creating French hybrids, genomes of several species came together over generations of hybridization. In concert with selection for fertility, repeated interspecific genomic exposure would be expected to have ameliorated the effects of initial incongruity between American species and V. vinifera, increasing their value as genetic bridges in breeding programs.

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