scholarly journals Pollination Services from Insects in Homegardens in the Chengdu Plain will be Confronted with Crises

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Liu ◽  
Pei Xu ◽  
Kun Yan ◽  
Yingman Guo
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Peach Fruit ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Chengdu Plain ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Flower Visiting

Chengdu Plain is one of China’s most important agricultural production zones and has a large human population. Agricultural crops require insect pollination to increase yield and quality, which is especially important in plains areas where forest area is small. Homegardens are the main habitat of pollinators. The present study identified the importance of insect pollination in homegardens in the Chengdu Plain through field investigations and comparative experiments and revealed the risk to pollination services caused by the decrease in diversity and population of managed and wild pollinators. The results showed that (1) prohibiting all insect pollination (treatment A) and prohibiting managed bee pollination (treatment B) significantly reduced the yield and seed number of rapeseed and significantly reduced the size, weight, and sweetness of peach fruit, but had no significant effects on plums; (2) the dependence on insect pollination and the economic values of insect pollination for rapeseed and peaches are 0.56 and $85.1 million and 0.44 and $31.0 million, respectively; (3) there were 23 flower-visiting pollinator species at the experimental sites including: four species of managed bees and 19 species of wild pollinators. The peak time for pollinators to visit flowers was 11:00 to 15:00, and the managed bees accounted for over 67.55% of these visits; (4) within a radius of 1000 m from the site, 58.06% of the bees were non-locally managed, and the bee population managed locally by farmers decreased; and (5) compared with 2008, the number of homegardens decreased by 17.24%, the managed bees within the homegardens decreased by 62.05%, and the disappearance and destruction of homegardens led to a significant reduction in wild pollinators.

scholarly journals Significance of Apoidea as Main Pollinators. Ecological and Economic Impact and Implications for Human Nutrition

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 280
Author(s):  
Peter Hristov ◽  
Boyko Neov ◽  
Rositsa Shumkova ◽  
Nadezhda Palova
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Genetic Resource ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Total Economic Value

Wild and managed bees provide pollination services to crops and wild plants, as well as a variety of other services beneficial to humans. Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinator worldwide. It has been calculated that 9.5% of the total economic value of agricultural production comes from insect pollination, thus amounting to just under USD 200 billion globally. More than 100 important crops depend on pollination by honey bees. The latter pollinate not only a wide number of commercial crops but also many wild plants, some of which are threatened by extinction and constitute a valuable genetic resource. Moreover, as pollinators, honey bees play a significant role in every aspect of the ecosystem by facilitating the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants that serve as food and shelter for many large and small creatures. In this paper, we describe how the reduction in honey bee populations affects various economic sectors, as well as human health.

Orchestrated Flowering and Interspecific Facilitation: Key Factors in the Maintenance of the Main Pollinator of Coexisting Threatened Species of Andean Wax Palms (Ceroxylon spp.)

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-299
Author(s):  
Javier Carreño-Barrera ◽  
Luis Alberto Núñez-Avellaneda ◽  
Maria José Sanín ◽  
Artur Campos D. Maia
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Flower Visiting

Solitary, dioecious, and mostly endemic to Andean cloud forests, wax palms (Ceroxylon Bonpl. ex DC. spp.) are currently under worrisome conservation status. The establishment of management plans for their dwindling populations rely on detailed biological data, including their reproductive ecology. As in the case of numerous other Neotropical palm taxa, small beetles are assumed to be selective pollinators of wax palms, but their identity and relevance in successful fruit yield were unknown. During three consecutive reproductive seasons we collected data on population phenology and reproductive and floral biology of three syntopic species of wax palms native to the Colombian Andes. We also determined the composition of the associated flower-visiting entomofauna, quantifying the extent of the role of individual species as effective pollinators through standardized value indexes that take into consideration abundance, constancy, and pollen transport efficiency. The studied populations of C. parvifrons (Engel) H. Wendl., C. ventricosum Burret, and C. vogelianum (Engel) H. Wendl. exhibit seasonal reproductive cycles with marked temporal patterns of flower and fruit production. The composition of the associated flower-visiting entomofauna, comprised by ca. 50 morphotypes, was constant across flowering seasons and differed only marginally among species. Nonetheless, a fraction of the insect species associated with pistillate inflorescences actually carried pollen, and calculated pollinator importance indexes demonstrated that one insect species alone, Mystrops rotundula Sharp, accounted for 94%–99% of the effective pollination services for all three species of wax palms. The sequential asynchronous flowering of C. parvifrons, C. ventricosum, and C. vogelianum provides an abundant and constant supply of pollen, pivotal for the maintenance of large populations of their shared pollinators, a cooperative strategy proven effective by high fruit yield rates (up to 79%). Reproductive success might be compromised for all species by the population decline of one of them, as it would tamper with the temporal orchestration of pollen offer.

scholarly journals Soil fertilization synergistically enhances the impact of pollination services in increasing seed yield of sunflower under dryland conditions

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Dolapo Bola Adelabu ◽  
Emile Bredenhand ◽  
Sean van der Merwe ◽  
Angelinus Cornelius Franke
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Synergetic Effect ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Degraded Soil ◽  
Soil Fertilization ◽  
Fertilized Soil ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Poor Soil

Abstract To exploit the potential of ecological intensification during sunflower cropping, it is crucial to understand the potential synergies between crop management and ecosystem services. We therefore examined the effect of pollination intensification on sunflower yield and productivity under various levels of soil fertilization over two seasons in the eastern Free State, South Africa. We manipulated soil fertility with fertilizer applications and pollination with exclusion bags. We found a synergetic effect between pollination and soil fertilization whereby increasing pollination intensity led to a far higher impact on sunflower yield when the soil had been fertilized. Specifically, the intensification of insect pollination increased seed yield by approximately 0.4 ton/ha on nutrient poor soil and by approximately 1.7 ton/ha on moderately fertilized soil. Our findings suggest that sunflower crops on adequate balanced soil fertility will receive abundant insect pollination and may gain more from both synergies than crops grown in areas with degraded soil fertility.

scholarly journals Agricultural Nanotechnology: Applications and Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 2146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khursheed Ahmad Wani ◽  
Richa Kothari
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Nano Technology ◽  
Toxicological Effects ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
The World ◽  
Vegetables And Fruits ◽  
Organic Pesticides ◽  
Food Safety And Quality

Agricultural nanotechnology has emerged in the late 1990s and is developed and applied all over the world. However, this technology has not developed so fast in different sectors of agriculture. This has not even found its market to the expected scale but has the potential to improve agricultural production. This agro nanotechnology can be utilized for developing healthy seeds that can improve plant germination, growth, yield, and quality. This technology has the potential to increase the storage period for vegetables and fruits. Organic pesticides and fertilizers can be developed by the proper use of agro nano technology. It has found it’s use in genetic engineering and plant breeding. However, the application of nanotechnology provides numerous advantages related to food safety and quality, at the same time it may present a potential risk not only to human health, but can affect animals and the environment as well as nanoparticles may have toxicological effects on biological systems.

scholarly journals Short communication: Molecular detection of honeybee viruses in Ecuador

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. e05SC02
Author(s):  
María E. Bravi ◽  
Jorge Avalos ◽  
Hugo Rosero ◽  
Gerald Maldonado ◽  
Francisco J. Reynaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Short Communication ◽  
Rna Extraction ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Pcr Analysis ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Multiple Risk Factors ◽  
The World ◽  
Honeybee Population

Aim of study: The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is one of the most important pollinators in the world. Apicultural activity and pollination services have been affected by the decline in the honeybee population, which may be due to the interaction of multiple risk factors, such as changes in agricultural production, use of pesticides and presence of pathogens. Viruses, in particular, are suspected to be drivers of colony mortality. In this scenario, the aim of this study was to determine the presence of honeybee viruses (IAPV, DWV, SBV, ABPV, BQCV, CBPV) in A. mellifera populations using a RT-mPCR assay.Area of study: Apiaries were situated in Pichincha, Ecuador.Material and methods: Samples were collected from seventeen apiaries that exhibited mortality but without specific clinical signs. Each sample comprised 15 individuals. After RNA extraction, a multiplex PCR analysis was performed for presence of six viruses (IAPV, DWV, SBV, ABPV, BQCV, CBPV).Main results: Four of the viruses (ABPV, DWV, BQCV and SBV) were found in co-infections in these colonies, with ABPV and SBV also being found in simple infections.Research highlights: To our knowledge, this is the first molecular detection of BQCV and SBV in Ecuador. These findings suggest that some of the above viruses could be involved in weakening these colonies.

scholarly journals The floriphilic katydid, Phaneroptera brevis, is a frequent flower visitor of non-native, flowering forbs

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Ming Kai Tan ◽  
Hui Lee ◽  
Hugh Tiang Wah Tan
Keyword(s):  
Model Organism ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Resource Concentration ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Resource Concentration Hypothesis ◽  
Flower Visitation ◽  
Flower Visiting

Distribution of consumers in a patch of vegetation can be predicted by resource availability and explained by the resource-concentration and optimal-foraging hypotheses. These hypotheses have not been explored for flower-visiting Orthoptera because they are deemed less economically or ecologically important. Some flower-visiting orthopterans can provide pollination services, which warrants more attention. We studied a Singaporean, floriphilic katydid, Phaneropterabrevis, to investigate the following questions: 1) how frequently does P.brevis visit flowers compared to other flower visitors and 2) what factors predict the abundance of P.brevis? We collected abundance data for P.brevis and other flower-visiting arthropods and quantified seven environmental parameters, including flower abundance and host-plant species richness. We found that P.brevis frequents flowers significantly more often than some common and expected flower visitors such as hoverflies. In line with the prediction of the resource-concentration hypothesis, the abundance of P.brevis was positively correlated with a higher flower abundance. Owing to the limited information on unexpected wild flower visitors and pollinators, especially from the understudied tropics of Southeast Asia, we propose that P.brevis can be a model organism for future studies to answer fundamental questions on flower visitation.

scholarly journals Organic Establishment of Pollination Reservoirs in the Lowbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae) Agroecosystem

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 393-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Venturini ◽  
F. A. Drummond ◽  
A. K. Hoshide
Keyword(s):  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry ◽  
Native Bee ◽  
Wild Blueberries ◽  
Nurse Crops

Abstract Pollination reservoirs are pollen and nectar rich wildflower plantings intended to enhance pollination services in pollinator-dependent crops. Despite government assistance, plantings often fail to establish. Our focal crop, wild blueberries, is a unique cropping-system native to the U.S.A. It is never planted or cultivated, and typically exists in isolated fields within a mostly coniferous forest matrix. Our study takes place in Maine, U.S.A., where growers could economically benefit by switching reliance from rented honey bees to native bee pollination. Lowbush blueberry growers support wild bee enhancement efforts, but the low pH (4.0-5.0) of this agro-ecosystem presents unique challenges to wildflower establishment. We sought to identify methods that Organic certified growers can use to successfully establish pollination reservoirs in this system. We tested the effects of nurse crops and mowing on the success of a custom wildflower mixture over four years. Success was considered in terms of longevity, sown species diversity, above-ground biomass, and the number and weight of inflorescences. The authors present an economic analysis of cost versus projected planting longevity. In the fourth year of establishment, sown plant diversity significantly decreased, Solidago spp. weeds became dominant, and treatments were not a strong determinant of planting success. The economic analysis suggests that the high cost of pollination reservoir establishment may be a barrier to grower adoption. This study provides evidence and economic justification that weeds must be controlled prior to planting and represents one of the first studies to empirically test organic strategies for wildflower establishment in an agricultural context.

Wild Bee Visitation Rates Exceed Pollination Thresholds in Commercial Cucurbita Agroecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 562-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
C M McGrady ◽  
R Troyer ◽  
S J Fleischer
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Variation ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Field Edge ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Abstract Wild bees supply sufficient pollination in Cucurbita agroecosystems in certain settings; however, some growers continue to stock fields with managed pollinators due to uncertainties of temporal and spatial variation on pollination services supplied by wild bees. Here, we evaluate wild bee pollination activity in wholesale, commercial pumpkin fields over 3 yr. We identified 37 species of bees foraging in commercial pumpkin fields. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), squash bees (Eucera (Peponapis) Say, Dorchin [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), and bumble bees (Bombus spp., primarily B. impatiens Cresson [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) were the most active pollinator taxa, responsible for over 95% of all pollination visits. Preference for female flowers decreased as distance from field edge increased for several bee taxa. Visitation rates from one key pollinator was negatively affected by field size. Visitation rates for multiple taxa exhibited a curvilinear response as the growing season progressed and responded positively to increasing floral density. We synthesized existing literature to estimate minimum ‘pollination thresholds’ per taxa and determined that each of the most active pollinator taxa exceeded these thresholds independently. Under current conditions, renting honey bee hives may be superfluous in this system. These results can aid growers when executing pollination management strategies and further highlights the importance of monitoring and conserving wild pollinator populations.

scholarly journals Insect pollination and sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumsa Tolera ◽  
Gavin Ballantyne
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Insect Pollination ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Agricultural Improvement ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Sub Saharan

We are currently seeing an expansion of pollinator-dependent crops in many parts of the world, but also growing evidence for pollinator population declines and loss of pollinator habitat. Climate change and population growth will place additional demands on crop production, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite the wealth of evidence that improved management of insect pollinators can lead to substantial gains in crop yield, agricultural improvement strategies in SSA still emphasize the manipulation of abiotic factors and do not fully exploit the value of pollinators. In this article we review the importance of pollination services in sustainable agriculture, how global perspectives can inform our understanding of the situation in SSA, discuss successful pollination management, highlight where research and development are required, and suggest possible solutions to enhance the contribution of pollination services to sustainable agriculture in the region. 

scholarly journals Bee Pollination Highly Improves Oil Quality in Sunflower

Sociobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 583
Author(s):  
Carina A. S. Silva ◽  
Wesley A. C. Godoy ◽  
Cynthia R. O. Jacob ◽  
Gustavo Thomas ◽  
Gil M. S. Câmara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Vitamin E ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Oil Quality ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Bee Pollination ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Exclusion Experiments ◽  
Bee Community

Sunflower is a pollinator-dependent crop and one of the most cultivated oilseeds in the world, supporting important sectors of the agricultural industry, such as the food supply, because it is an important source of vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids for human health. Although it is well stablished that bee pollination improves sunflower seed set, it is still unknown if pollinators influence the nutritional composition. Considering the economic importance of sunflowers for several Brazilian agricultural sectors, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the bee community for (1) achene quality (weight and nutritional composition) and (2) market value. Exclusion experiments were performed with hybrid sunflowers and showed that bee pollination enhanced the achene weight by 91 %, the levels of vitamin E by 45 % and unsaturated fatty acids by 0.3 %. Also, it was estimated that due to the pollination services provided by bees, the grower of the sunflower cultivar used in this study nearly duplicates the sale value of the achenes per hectare of cultivated area. Thus, the current study highlights the importance of bees as providers of cross- and self-pollination to nutritional quality of sunflower achenes and provides useful baseline figures to further evaluations of the effects of pollinators on human diets and health.

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