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.

The beneficial effect of ants on the reproductive success of Dyckia floribunda (Bromeliaceae), an extrafloral nectary plant

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
José L Vesprini ◽  
Leonardo Galetto ◽  
Gabriel Bernardello
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Extrafloral Nectaries ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Mutualistic Association

Dyckia floribunda is a perennial herb from the Argentinian Chaco with extrafloral nectaries. Ants visited these nectaries while patrolling inflorescences and infructescences. We anticipated that ants attracted to extrafloral nectaries might protect the reproductive organs, increasing plant reproductive output. To evaluate the possibility of mutualism between D. floribunda and ant visitors, we determined whether ant-accessible plants showed a higher seed production than ant-excluded plants. Experimental fieldwork suggested a decrease in fruit set of ant-excluded plants compared with ant-accessible plants but the seed number per fruit was not affected by ant exclusion. Thus, total seed number per plant was highly reduced in treated spikes. Analyses of covariance confirmed these trends, indicating that total seed production per plant was strongly affected by ant exclusion. This study marks the first experimental report of this mutualistic association in Bromeliaceae.Key words: ant–plant interaction, Bromeliaceae, Chaco, Dyckia floribunda, fruit set, seed set, mutualism.

scholarly journals Flowering, Forage Value, and Insect Pollination in Borage (Borago Officinalis L.) Cultivated in Se Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-89
Author(s):  
Ernest Stawiarz ◽  
Anna Wróblewska ◽  
Marzena Masierowska ◽  
Dagmara Sadowska
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Borago Officinalis ◽  
Se Poland ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
Nectar Sugar ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Forage Value

AbstractThe three-year study on borage was conducted in Lublin, SE Poland. The aims were to investigate the flowering pattern and abundance, and the attractiveness (in terms of nectar and pollen production) for flower-visiting insects, mainly bees. Insect visitation and the effect of pollinators on fruit set and seed set were assessed as well. Flowering of borage started in the latter half of June and lasted eight weeks. The mean number of flowers · m−2 of the crop was 4570 per season. A borage flower produced on average 4.0 mg of nectar with a mean sugar concentration of 31.5%. The mean total sugar amount secreted in nectar was 1.2 mg. The pollen amount · flower−1 was 1.1 mg. A borage plant can supply insects with 1.1 g of nectar sugars and 1.1 g of pollen. The estimated nectar sugar yield and pollen yield per 1 m2 of the crop were similar, i.e. 5.2 g. Bees accounted for 73.0% of all insect visits to the borage flowers. The presence of insect pollinators increased the fruit set by 43.3% and seed set by 26.8%.

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 The Use of Honeybee Hives May Boost Yields of Some Crops in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Kedar Devkota ◽  
Prashant Rijal ◽  
Charles Fernando dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Brassica Campestris ◽  
Cultivated Plants ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Flying Insects ◽  
Pollination Deficit ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Complementary Strategy

Many pollination-dependent crops worldwide need bees for the highest productivity. If the crops are not pollinated, a pollination deficit will result. Consequently, low yields of fruit set and seed set of cultivated plants may be expected. Here, we evaluated how pollination with honeybee (Apis mellifera) hives may affect the production of the bittergourd (Momordica charantia), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and mustard (Brassica campestris) in tons or quintal per hectare in Nepal. Our experimental design involved three treatments in blocks within selected areas: (i) the effect of the honeybees alone (caged with beehives), (ii) free insect access under natural field conditions, and (iii) blocks restraining insect access (caged without beehives). We also assessed the flower visiting insects within crops using pan traps and identifying insect orders. We found that the productivity of bittergourd, buckwheat, and mustard significantly increased in the treatments with beehives inside the cage. To a lesser extent, the treatment with free access to the flying insects enhanced the production of the selected crops. Proportionally, Hymenoptera (mainly bees) was the most common taxon within bittergourd, buckwheat, and mustard crops, followed by Diptera and Lepidoptera. Hence, the provision of beehives in cultivated areas such as those evaluated here could be considered as a complementary strategy for supporting the long-term productivity of these crops in Nepal.

scholarly journals Empidine dance flies pollinate the woodland geranium as effectively as bees

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 20190230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Lefebvre ◽  
Christophe Daugeron ◽  
Claire Villemant ◽  
Colin Fontaine
Keyword(s):  
Seed Set ◽  
Flower Visitors ◽  
Single Visit ◽  
Subalpine Meadow ◽  
Pollination Effectiveness ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Plant Pollinator ◽  
Effective Pollinators ◽  
Dance Fly ◽  
High Diversity

Most flowering plants species rely on insects for pollination, a successful mutualism allowing them to reproduce over wide areas while flower-visitors are rewarded with food. This association is so conspicuous in the case of bees that other groups of potential pollinators, especially flies, have long been underestimated. However, visitors are not always pollinators. While the importance of flies in plant–visitor networks is now acknowledged, their pollination effectiveness has hardly been investigated. In this study, we assessed the pollination effectiveness of Geranium sylvaticum flower-visitors using single-visit seed set experiments, in a subalpine meadow where flies are predominant. We found that: (i) empidine dance flies were the most frequent visitors of G. sylvaticum ; (ii) a single-visit by an empidine dance fly produced the same average number of seeds as a visit by a bee; (iii) large pollinators were more efficient than small pollinators irrespective of their identity. As a conclusion, large empidines were the main pollinators of G. sylvaticum . Considering the high diversity and abundance of flower-visiting fly species, such results showing their ability to be as effective pollinators as bees should encourage further studies to develop a better understanding on their role in plant–pollinator networks.

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.

Pollination ecology of Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae) in Central Brazil cerrado vegetation

1993 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rogério Gribel ◽  
John D. Hay
Keyword(s):  
Breeding System ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Floral Biology ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Glossophaga Soricina ◽  
Caryocar Brasiliense ◽  
Anoura Geoffroyi ◽  
Phyllostomus Discolor

ABSTRACTThe floral biology, breeding system and pollination of Caryocar brasiliense were studied in the cerrado vegetation of Central Brazil. The large, yellowish-cream, brush-like flowers are pollinated mainly by glossophagine bats (Glossophaga soricina and Anoura geoffroyi). Three non-glossophagine bats (Phyllostomus discolor, Vampyrops lineatus and Carollia perspicillata) and two short probosisced hawk moths (Erinyis ello and Pseudosphinx tetrio) may also act as occasional pollinators. Caryocar brasiliense is self-compatible although it sets significantly more fruits when crossed than when selfed. The natural fruit set (fruit/flower ratio) and seed set (seed/ovule ratio) are 3.1% and 1.0% respectively. Most of the fruits and seeds are formed through the action of the flower visitors, despite the fact that about 20% of the non-visited flowers receive self pollen on at least one stigma.

A comparison of flower-visiting insects to rare Symphyotrichum sericeum and common Solidago nemoralis (Asteraceae)

Botany ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Bizecki Robson
Keyword(s):  
Seed Set ◽  
Visitation Rate ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Insect Visitation ◽  
The Common ◽  
Insect Activity ◽  
Flower Visiting ◽  
Common Plant ◽  
Insect Visitors ◽  
Over Time

Flower-visiting insect activity to the rare Symphyotrichum sericeum (Vent.) G.L. Nesom and the common Solidago nemoralis Ait. var. longipetiolata (Mack. & Bush) Pal. & Steyerm. was examined to detect compositional and temporal similarities. A hand pollination experiment was conducted to determine whether pollen was limiting seed set. Of the 31 insect taxa that visited these plants, Bombus bifarius Cresson was the most common visitor to both species. More insect visitors of the Halictidae and Bombyliidae were received by S. sericeum than S. nemoralis, which received more visitors of the Syrphidae and Tachinidae. The insect visitation rate was not significantly different between the two plant species. Solidago nemoralis was visited by fewer insect taxa per day than S. sericeum, but the constancy of its visitors was higher. The insect visitor composition changed over time, with B. bifarius ignoring S. sericeum plants initially, then visiting them more frequently as the number of receptive S. nemoralis capitula declined. Hand pollination increased seed set in the earliest flowering capitula of S. sericeum, but not for those flowering during the peak. This research shows that the quantity of insect visits to the rare plant is comparable with that of the common plant but that pollination quality may be lower, particularly for early blooming capitula.

scholarly journals Cryogenic Storage of Tomato Pollen: Effect on Fecundity

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik J. Sacks ◽  
Dina A. St. Clair
Keyword(s):  
Lycopersicon Esculentum ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Viable Seed ◽  
Pollen Storage ◽  
Germplasm Storage ◽  
Cryogenic Storage ◽  
Fresh Pollen ◽  
Tomato Breeding ◽  
Pollen Effect

The influence of cryogenic pollen storage on fruit set and seed production in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was investigated. Flowers pollinated with pollen samples stored for 5 weeks at –80C, with or without 20 h precooling at 4C, had similar fruit set and number of viable seed per fruit as those pollinated with fresh pollen. Pollen samples, which were repeatedly cooled (–80C) and warmed (to 22 to 24C) for up to six cycles, continuously maintained the same viability as the fresh pollen. When cryogenically stored pollen of L. esculentum 2-837, LA359, LA3198, and LA3199 were used to pollinate LA359, the number of viable seed formed per fruit differed significantly. Results of this study suggest that pollen cryopreservation can be used successfully for tomato breeding and germplasm storage.

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