scholarly journals Does in-hive pollen transfer by honey bees contribute to cross-pollination and seed set in hybrid cotton?

Apidologie ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Loper ◽  
G. DeGrandi-Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Cross Pollination

The mode of pollination in strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum)

1963 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
FHW Morley
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Small Proportion ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Dense Population ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Commercial Seed ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Seed Yields

A technique for emasculation and crossing strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum) is described. Contrary to reports in the literature this species is predominant4 self-incompatible. A small proportion of plants may set a few seeds on selfing. If seed-set is to be maximal a dense population of pollinating insects such as honey bees is necessary. Commercial seed yields may be greatly improved steps are taken to assure cross pollination.

scholarly journals Seed-set evaluation of four male-sterile, female-fertile soybean lines using alfalfa leafcutting bees and honey bees as pollinators

2008 ◽  
Vol 146 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. ORTIZ-PEREZ ◽  
R. M. A. MIAN ◽  
R. L. COOPER ◽  
T. MENDIOLA ◽  
J. TEW ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Soybean Seed ◽  
Sterile Plant ◽  
Male Sterile ◽  
Male Sterile Plant ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Sterile Female ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Pollinator Species

SUMMARYMale-sterile, female-fertile plants were used to produce hybrid soybean seed. Manual cross-pollination using male-sterile plants to produce large quantities of hybrid seed is difficult and time-consuming because of the low success rate in cross-pollination. Insect pollinators may be suitable vectors to transfer pollen, but the most suitable vector for pollen transfer from the male parent to the female parent has not been identified for soybean. The objective of the present study was to evaluate seed-set on four male-sterile, female-fertile soybean lines by using alfalfa leafcutting bees (Megachile rotundata (F.)) and honey bees (Apis mellifera (L.)) as pollinators. Seed-set was evaluated in summers 2003 and 2005 near Ames, Iowa, USA and in summers 2003, 2004, and 2005 near Wooster, Ohio, USA. Neither the effect of pollinator species nor the interaction effect of pollinator species×location was significant for any year. Honey bees performed similarly to alfalfa leafcutting bees at both locations. The results indicated significant differences for seed-set among male-sterile lines, suggesting preferential pollination. Male-sterile lines, ms1 (Urbana) and ms2 (Ames 2), had higher cross-pollinated seed-set compared to ms6 (Ames 1), and ms6 (Corsoy 79). At the Ames location, ms1ms1 (Urbana) plants had the highest seed-set (50·16 seeds per male-sterile plant in 2005). At the Wooster location, ms1ms1 (Urbana) plants also had the highest seed-set (92·04 seeds per male-sterile plant) in 2005. Costs and local conditions need to be addressed to support the choice of either pollinator species as a pollination vector to produce hybrid soybean seed.

scholarly journals Seed Production in Watermelon: A Comparison between Two Commercially Available Pollinators

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Stanghellini ◽  
J.T. Ambrose ◽  
J.R. Schultheis
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Limited Supply

The number of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) continues to decline due to parasitic mite pests and other factors. Honey bees and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson) were therefore compared for their effects on the seed set of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] in a 2-year field experiment. The experiment was a 2 x 4 + 2 factorial, comparing bee type (honey bee or bumble bee) at four visitation levels (1, 6, 12, and 18 bee visits) to pistillate flowers, with two controls: a no-visit treatment and an open-pollinated treatment. Bee visitation level had a strong positive influence on seed set (P ≤ 0.0001). All flowers bagged to prevent insect visitation aborted, demonstrating the need for active pollen transfer between staminate and pistillate watermelon flowers. Flowers visited by B. impatiens consistently contained more seed than those visited by A. mellifera, when compared at equal bee visitation levels (P ≤ 0.0001). We conclude that bumble bees have great potential to serve as a supplemental pollinator for watermelon when honey bees available for rental are in limited supply.

scholarly journals Severely pollen-limited fruit set in a pear (Pyrus communis) orchard revealed by yield assessments and DNA-based paternity assignment of seedlings

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Mattison ◽  
J. Sehic ◽  
H. Nybom
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Rapd Analysis ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Fruit Tree ◽  
Pollen Transfer ◽  
Pear Cultivar ◽  
Pollination Success ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
High Yields

In commercial fruit tree orchards, consistently high yields are necessary for a durable economy. The Swedish pear cultivar 'Carola' has been noted for low setting in some orchards, possibly due to insufficient pollination. In this study, fruit set was evaluated in a research orchard where `Carola' had been planted together with four potential pollinators. Total yield and number of fruits was noted during three and four years, respectively. In 2003, seeds were germinated from the harvested `Carola' fruits, and the paternity of three seedlings from 50 trees was determined with RAPD analysis. 'Clapp's Favourite' had sired 39.6% of the seedlings, closely followed by `Seigneur d'Esperen' (30.7%) and 'Clara Frijs' (26.7%) whereas 'Skanskt sockerparon' only sired 1.1% of the seedlings. The remaining 2.3% appeared to have been derived by selfing. Pollen-limited seed set was indicated at surprisingly short distances; accumulated number of fruits on the `Carola' trees was significantly higher when separated by only 2 m from one of the two most efficient pollinators, 'Clapp's Favourite' or 'Seigneur d'Esperen‘, compared to trees 4—l0 in away in the same row. Number of viable seeds per fruit was also higher in fruits from trees immediately adjacent to the pollinators, suggesting an effect of improved pollination success. The importance of very short inter-cultivar distances for efficient pollen transfer became even more clear when comparisons involved the true pollination distances as determined by RAPD; the accumulated yields decreased linearly from 55 kg at a 2 in distance to only 17 kg at 13 m.

scholarly journals Using Commercial Bumble Bee Colonies as Backup Pollinators for Honey Bees to Produce Cucumbers and Watermelons

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Stanghellini ◽  
J.T. Ambrose ◽  
J.R. Schultheis
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Parasitic Mite ◽  
Fruit Abortion ◽  
Bee Colonies

The effectiveness of bumble bees, Bombus impatiens Cresson, and honey bees, Apis mellifera L., on the pollination of cucumber, Cucumis sativus L., and watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, was compared under field conditions. Comparisons were based on fruit abortion rates and seed set as influenced by bee type (honey bee or bumble bee) and the number of bee visits to treatment flowers (1, 6, 12, and 18 bee visits), plus two controls: a no-visit treatment and an open-pollinated (unrestricted visitation) treatment. For both crops, an increased number of bee visits had a strong positive effect on fruit and seed set. All cucumber and watermelon flowers bagged to prevent insect visitation aborted, demonstrating the need for active transfer of pollen between staminate and pistillate flowers. Bumble bee-visited flowers consistently had lower abortion rates and higher seed sets in the cucumber and watermelon studies than did honey bee-visited flowers when compared at the same bee visitation level. Only slight differences in fruit abortion rates were detected between bee types in the watermelon study. However, abortion rates for bumble bee-visited flowers were consistently less than those for honey bee-visited flowers when compared at equal bee visitation levels, with one exception at the 12 bee visit level. As the number of honey bee colonies continues to decline due to parasitic mite pests and based on the data obtained, we conclude that bumble bees have a great potential to serve as a supplemental pollinator for cucumbers, watermelons, and possibly other vine crops, when honey bees available for rental are in limited supply.

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