Use Yield Ratios to Evaluate Effects of Supplemental Pollination on Crop Production

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 492b-492
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Ferrari
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Large Fluctuations ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Supplemental Pollination

The environment caused large fluctuations in almond yields from year-to-year, which confounded analysis of pollination treatments performed in the field. Following the practice of supplemental pollination, there was insufficient improvement in yield to indicate that extra pollen applied to honey bees affected nut production. However, when yield for a cultivar exposed to extra pollen was compared to an untreated, reference cultivar grown in the same field, a statistically significant increase in yield was detected. Coefficients of variation for yield ratios averaged 54% lower than for yields alone in each of eight orchards examined. Converting annual yields to yield ratios mitigated the effects of the environment on analysis of production data.

scholarly journals 477 Sources of Supplemental Pollen and Their Contribution to Yield in Almonds

HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 476C-476
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Ferrari
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Frequency Histogram ◽  
Pollen Sources ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Paternity Tests ◽  
Polymorphic Enzymes

Almond flowers are self-incompatible and require cross-pollination for nut set. Commercial production requires pollinizers be planted within an orchard and the presence of honeybee colonies during bloom. External pollen sources are also available when “nearby” orchards produce flowers simultaneously, and when growers apply “extra” precollected pollen to foragers. The latter cultural practice is performed to improve cross-pollination under adverse bloom conditions. Paternity tests on nuts detected these two sources of supplemental pollen and measured what percent (%) each contributed to fertilization and crop production. Polymorphic enzymes were analyzed following electrophoresis of extracts from 42,000 embryos sampled over an 8-year period from orchards throughout California. A J-shaped frequency histogram was produced by “nearby” pollen sources (n = 30), with 0% to 0.2% being the most common class. The histogram from “extra” pollen (n = 70) was strongly right-skewed and bimodal (m1= 2.0% to 2.5%, m2=15.0% to 17.5%). Both sample populations possessed significantly different (P < 0.001) means, medians, and variances. Nut production by pollen from nearby orchards ranged from 0% to 5% (mean 0.97%, median, 0.45%, SD = 1.455); and production by extra pollen applied to honey bees ranged from 0% to 55% (mean 12.51%, median 7.9%, SD = 12.09). Evidence suggests pollen applied to honeybees contributed from 13- to 18-times more to yield than pollen transferred, naturally, from orchard to orchard.

scholarly journals On the accuracy of official Chinese crop production data: Evidence from biophysical indexes of net primary production

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (41) ◽  
pp. 25434-25444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gengyuan Liu ◽  
Xueqi Wang ◽  
Giovanni Baiocchi ◽  
Marco Casazza ◽  
Fanxin Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
National Statistics ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Economic Statistics

With rapid economic growth and urbanization, self-sufficiency in crop production has become central to China’s agriculture policy. Accurate crop production statistics are essential for research, monitoring, and planning. Although researchers agree that China’s statistical authority has considerably modernized over time, China’s economic statistics have still been viewed as unreliable and often overstated to meet growth targets at different administrative levels. Recent increases in crop production reported by national statistics have also come under increasing scrutiny. This paper investigates crop production data quality from a planetary boundary perspective—comparing net primary production (NPP) harvested obtained from national statistics with satellite-driven NPP estimates that are supported by detailed observation of land cover, combined with observations on physical factors that limit plant growth. This approach provides a powerful means to check the plausibility of China’s grain production statistics at different administrative levels that can generate insights about their discrepancies and can contribute to improved crop production measurements. We find some evidence of potential misreporting problems from the lower administration level where the risk of manipulation of statistics is higher. We also find problems from provincial-level major grain producers. These values can also affect the national totals. Although the numbers are affected by large uncertainties, we find that improving the spatial resolution of key agricultural parameters can greatly improve the reliability of the indicator that in turn can help improve data quality. More reliable production data will be vital for relevant research and provide better insights into food security problems, the carbon cycle, and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Location problem of Osmia cornuta nesting aids for optimum pollination

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244610
Author(s):  
Juraj Pekár ◽  
Marian Reiff ◽  
Ivan Brezina
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Location Problem ◽  
Differential Evolution Algorithm ◽  
Economic Output ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Evolution Algorithm ◽  
Economic Contribution ◽  
Agricultural Business

The economic contribution of insect pollinators is evident as they contribute to higher crop yield quantity and quality. The management of bee species is key to crop production, especially where wild and domesticated bees are in low abundance. Several bee species have been identified as possible candidates for replacing, or at least supplementing, the decreasing number of honey bees. Our research seeks to address the location problem as regards nesting aids for Osmia cornuta bees in orchards using mathematical programming models for determining the optimal location of nesting aids and optimizing the management of solitary bees. A differential evolution algorithm is used to solve a location model of Osmia cornuta nesting aids for optimum pollination. Instead of a random ad hoc location of nesting aids in an orchard, or at the edge of an orchard, we utilize an effective optimization tool to determine locations which will optimize pollination by alternative pollinators, and increase the economic output of an agricultural business. The importance of this proposed model is likely to increase with agricultural intensification, and the decrease of the numbers of wild pollinators.

scholarly journals DRIS Norms for grafted and non-grafted red bell pepper in semi arid climate conditions in a greenhouse

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Sánchez ◽  
Juan Manuel Soto-Parra ◽  
Pablo Preciado-Rangel ◽  
Alfonso Llanderal ◽  
María Teresa Lao
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Bell Pepper ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Nutrient Ratios ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Mature Leaves ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Semi Arid

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compute and compare DRIS norms for grafted and non-grafted red bell pepper crops grown in semi arid climate conditions. DRIS norms were computed with 84 samples of first young mature leaves collected during developed stage. The experiment had a completely randomized block design, and the values obtained for each plant and each variable were considered as independent replicates. Thirty-two DRIS norms nutrient ratios and coefficients of variation (CV) were computed from N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn analytical results. The ratios P/N and K/N in grafted and non-grafted pepper plants, showed low CV and therefore may play a fundamental role in crop production according with the DRIS norms calculated, since as light modification in the nutrient concentration led to a significant change in the nutritional balance. In conclusion, DRIS norms are sensitive for grafted and non-grafted plants. This work may signify an improvement in the nutritional diagnosis of grafted and non-grafted red bell pepper in semi arid climate conditions under a shaded greenhouse.

How reliable are crop production data? Case studies in USA and Argentina

Food Security ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. O. Sadras ◽  
P. Grassini ◽  
R. Costa ◽  
L. Cohan ◽  
A. J. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Data

scholarly journals North American Prairie Is a Source of Pollen for Managed Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Zhang ◽  
Ashley L St. Clair ◽  
Adam G Dolezal ◽  
Amy L Toth ◽  
Matthew E O’Neal
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Prairie Plants

Abstract Prairie was a dominant habitat within large portions of North America before European settlement. Conversion of prairies to farmland resulted in the loss of a large proportion of native floral resources, contributing to the decline of native pollinator populations. Efforts to reconstruct prairie could provide honey bees (Apis mellifera) a source of much-needed forage, especially in regions dominated by crop production. To what extent honey bees, which were introduced to North America by European settlers, use plants native to prairies is unclear. We placed colonies with pollen traps within reconstructed prairies in central Iowa to determine which and how much pollen is collected from prairie plants. Honey bee colonies collected more pollen from nonnative than native plants during June and July. During August and September, honey bee colonies collected more pollen from plants native to prairies. Our results suggest that honey bees’ use of native prairie plants may depend upon the seasonality of both native and nonnative plants present in the landscape. This finding may be useful for addressing the nutritional health of honey bees, as colonies in this region frequently suffer from a dearth of forage contributing to colony declines during August and September when crops and weedy plants cease blooming. These results suggest that prairie can be a significant source of forage for honey bees in the later part of the growing season in the Midwestern United States; we discuss this insight in the context of honey bee health and biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Review of Macadamia Production in Malawi: Focusing on What, Where, How Much Is Produced and Major Constraints

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Junior Zuza ◽  
Kadmiel Maseyk ◽  
Shonil Bhagwat ◽  
Andrew Emmott ◽  
Will Rawes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Wealth Creation ◽  
Foreign Exchange Earning ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Macadamia Nuts ◽  
Farming Families

Macadamia is an essential commodity crop in Malawi. The nuts are a lucrative commodity and are used for household consumption, income generation among farming families and as a foreign exchange earning crop at country-level. Macadamia production in Malawi has increased significantly in recent years. Malawi is the seventh top producer of macadamia nuts valued at £23.5 million, with a global market share of 3%. In 2018, the country was the fourth-largest exporter of macadamia nuts that were valued at £18.2 million. The majority (90%) of this crop was grown by large commercial estates with smallholder’s production only contributing about 10% of the total crop production. However, the smallholder sector is vital for the future growth of the macadamia sector in the country. Further, Malawian smallholders consider macadamia production as a low-input crop with large returns per unit area (£10.7 kg−1 ha−1), and it thus a lucrative commodity with high potential for poverty reduction and wealth creation among these farming families. This paper, therefore, explores: (i) the historical and current trends in macadamia nut production in Malawi; (ii) analyses the country’s macadamia value chain focusing on smallholder farmer contributions; and (iii) discusses the constraints of smallholder macadamia production in Malawi for informed policymaking. We conclude that the synthesis of the Malawian macadamia sub-sector provides an understanding of the vital contributions of macadamia to Malawi’s economic growth and improvement of livelihoods.

scholarly journals HONEY POLLEN ANALYSIS AND POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF HONEY BEES LIVING IN THE TOWN OF NAUCHNIY GORODOK OF THE ALTAI REGION

2021 ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
L.A. Meshcheryakova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Pollen Analysis ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Altai Region ◽  
Popula Tions ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
The Town

Honeybeepopulations were formed under certain phy-toclimatic conditions and, in the process of natural selec-tion, acquired useful characters that ensured the survival and successful reproduction of the species. Throughout the evolutionary process, insects and plants have developed certain relationships, and therefore bees developed priori-ties and tools in collecting nectar and pollen from certain plant species. On the territory of Russia, several popula-tions of Apis melliferaL. are zoned; they differ in flora spe-cialization, color and body size, behavior, productivity, win-ter hardiness and disease resistance. The main morpho-metric indices of insects that confirm the purity of the breed are the proboscis length and cubital index. To determine the species compositionof bees, insect samples were tak-en from 3 bee colonies inhabiting the town of Nauchniy Gorodok of the Altai Region, and 4 honey varieties were taken for pollen analysis. It was found that all samples of centrifuged honey belonged to polyfloral varieties and con-sisted of pollen of plants of the Cruciferous family (6.0-23.5%), Polygonaceae(1.4-33.0%), Fabaceae (2.5-28.1%), and Compositae (0.5-23.5%). The range of the indices of proboscis length (6.46 ± 0.033; 6.57 ± 0.021; 6.53 ± 0.021 mm) and cubital index(42.58 ± 1.514; 50.31 ± 1.78; 45.36 ± 1.134%) of the studied bees was quite high. The coefficients of variation were as following: re-garding proboscis length -1.38-2.25%, and cubital index -10.9-15.49%. Thus, in the 3 studied bee colonies, there were individuals with exterior features (proboscis length and cubital index) belonging to the European dark, Carpa-thian, Carniolan,Italian, Yellow and Mountain Grey Cauca-sian honeybee breeds.

Investigation of preferential treatment for milk yield in Canadian Holsteins

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Graham ◽  
C. Smith ◽  
J. P. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Preferential Treatment ◽  
Treatment Frequency ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Residual Variances

Milk production data collected from 1980 to 1986 for Holsteins in Canada were examined for evidence of preferential treatment of cows. Herds were split by milk-recording organization and within organization into Embryo Transfer herds, Bulldam herds, and other herds. Cows were classified as registered or grade within herds. Within-herd coefficients of variation were calculated for all herd-years and were generally higher for Bulldam herds. Cow estimated transmitting abilities (ETA) for milk yield were regressed on dam ETA and sire ETA to compare the regression coefficients with the theoretical regression coefficients and to examine the residuals. Residual variances increased with predicted ETA in all the sets of other herds and in ET herds located in Ontario. There was little evidence of effects due to preferential treatment. Frequency distributions of deviations from herd-year-season mean were calculated separately for grade and purebred cattle within lactation number and herd type. All distributions except for grades in Bulldam herds were significantly lepto-kurtotic (P < 0.01). There was little difference in distributions of grades and purebreds. No evidence of effects which could be caused by preferential treatment was obtained by these methods. Key words: Preferential treatment, genetic evaluation, dairy cattle

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