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During the breeding program studies, the pollen donor parents (pollinizers) were observed to be characterized by a strong flowering rate and very low fruit set, even after hand pollination. Then the notion of pollinizers in the argane species was born, first mentioned, checked, documented and confirmed like other conventional tree species. Since the argane tree is completely self-incompatible, the presence of compatible pollinizers is necessary for the fruit set. Indeed, pollinizers need to be selected accurately based on the synchronization of bloom periods and compatibility to receiver trees (female). The pollinizer is essential in any breeding program and for new orchard plantations. The current study was conducted on 13 argane genotypes including two pollinizers. The flowering period, bloom phenology, floral structure and fruit set of crossed genotypes were monitored, illustrated and a season phenogram was established. The pollen viability and germination were also evaluated. In order to test compatibility, the hand pollination using two selected pollinizer pollens was compared to open pollination. Then, the compatibility system was monitored and evaluated through analysis of crossing diallel programs and through the index of self-incompatibility. The flowering periods are genotype depending and one to three blooms have been observed during the two years study (2018-2019) and the argane tree is a tristylous species (Mesostylous, brevistylous and longistylous flowers). Thein vitrotests showed that the pollen originated from crossed genotypes were viable and able to germinate. The cross-compatibility rate depends on cross associations and it varies from 39 to 84 %. In fact, this study showed that the effect of pollen-parent (xenia) occurs in all fruit components of argane tree. It was observed, for the first time, that both compatible pollinizers and xenic effects of pollen on argane fruit have occurred. Artificial pollination is currently feasible for breeding programs and the screening of elite genotypes. Then the selected pollinizer is quite required for the development of argane tree cropping.HighlightsPollinizers in the argane species first mentionedPollinizer is essential in any breeding program and for new orchard plantationsArgane tree is self-incompatiblePollen-parent effect, (xenia) occurs in all fruit components of argane tree

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.

Bees provide key pollination services for a wide range of crops. Accumulating evidence shows the effect of semi-natural habitats at the landscape level and local management practices on bee diversity in fields. However, most of the evidence is derived from studies in North America and Europe. Whether this paradigm is applicable in China, which is characterized by smallholder-dominated agricultural landscapes, has rarely been studied. In this study, we aimed to investigate how bee diversity affected apple production, and how landscape and local variables affected bee diversity and species composition on the Northern China Plain. The results showed that bees significantly increased apple fruit set compared to bagged controls. Wild bee diversity was positively related to apple seed numbers. Higher seed numbers reduced the proportion of deformed apples and thus increased fruit quality. Wild bee abundance was positively correlated with flowering ground cover, and both the abundance and species richness of wild bees were positively affected by the percentage of semi-natural habitats. We conclude that apple quality can benefit from ecological intensification comprising the augmentation of wild bees by semi-natural habitats and flowering ground cover. Future pollination management should therefore reduce the intensification level of management at both the local and landscape scales.

Date palm pollen (DPP) plays a very important role in the fertilization process, since its viability and the pollination method influence on the quality, development, and yield of the fruit. In the present study, a broad review of its main characteristics, consumption, and DPP production are presented, as well as a description of its extraction methods and viability tests. The evolution of the pollination methods used in the date palm is also presented, from its natural pollination to the use of specialized mechanical and electrical devices, as well as the use of dry DPP and the current trend towards the use of DPP in liquid suspension. Likewise, the efficiency of the methods of natural pollination (wind); traditional (strands placement); dusting hand; dusting with manual, mechanical, or electric pollinator; and liquid pollination were evaluated from the fruit set percentage (FSP). Finally, starting from a scientometric analysis, the pollination methods were widely discussed, concluding that the dusting spraying of pollen suspension with liquid DPP is the pollination method that commonly presents the highest FSP, followed by dusting dry DPP with a motorized pollinator.

Throughout history, new strategies and technologies have played a key role in promoting the development of agriculture. New strategies have led to substantial improvements in crop productivity and fruit quality. The cultivation of peach and apricot in controlled greenhouse conditions is one such strategy. The aim of the protected cultivation of these species in greenhouses is to grow fruit trees by modifying the natural environment of the tree, including the harvest duration, which can be extended. This protected cultivation should improve yield, thus increasing the benefit–cost ratio, especially in the case of organic production. Here we review the main factors involved in greenhouse fruit tree cultivation, including the planting systems and substrate, cultivar and rootstock selection, pollination management, orchard management, and environmental management. Greenhouse cultivation makes it possible to control environmental conditions like wind speed, moisture, temperature, mineral nutrients, light intensity, and the atmospheric composition, and thus gives us a better understanding of growth factor requirements, and the means to improve fruit productivity. A protected environment has been shown to be effective in maintaining a relatively high temperature and preventing leaf injury due to environmental factors, resulting in a longer period of photosynthetic activity, which increases the photosynthetic production, and is therefore a suitable alternative strategy for production in cold regions. The main benefits of apricot and peach cultivation in greenhouses are: (1) precocity; (2) high fruit quality, storage life, and market proximity; and (3) good plant health, suitable for organic cultivation. However, the main limiting factors for fruit tree production in greenhouse conditions to take into account are: (1) light scarcity at high latitudes; (2) a lack of cold for bud breaking, flowering, and fruit production; (3) potentially excessive temperatures in warm regions, which reduce the photosynthesis rate; and (4) a reduction of fruit quality, coloring, and aroma compounds in certain warm conditions with light day/night temperature variations.

Caladenia fulvaG.W. Carr (Tawny Spider-orchid) is a terrestrial Australian endangered orchid confined to contiguous reserves in open woodland in Victoria, Australia. Natural recruitment is poor and no confirmed pollinator has been observed in the last 30 years. Polymorphic variation in flower color complicates plans for artificial pollination, seed collection andex situpropagation for augmentation or re-introduction. DNA sequencing showed that there was no distinction among color variants in the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the chloroplast trnT-trnF and matK regions. Also, authentic specimens of bothC. fulvaandCaladenia reticulatafrom the reserves clustered along with these variants, suggesting free interbreeding. Artificial cross-pollinationin situand assessment of seed viability further suggested that no fertility barriers existed among color variants. Natural fruit set was 15% of the population and was proportional to numbers of the different flower colors but varied with orchid patch within the population. Color modeling on spectral data suggested that a hymenopteran pollinator could discriminate visually among color variants. The similarity in fruiting success, however, suggests that flower color polymorphism may avoid pollinator habituation to specific non-rewarding flower colors. The retention of large brightly colored flowers suggests thatC. fulvahas maintained attractiveness to foraging insects rather than evolving to match a scarce unreliable hymenopteran sexual pollinator. These results suggest thatC. fulvashould be recognized as encompassing plants with these multiple flower colors, and artificial pollination should use all variants to conserve the biodiversity of the extant population.

A total of 70 000 hectares have been dedicated to the cultivation of the interspecific hybrid O × G in Colombia as of 2020. There was a need to introduce what is known as “assisted pollination” for these O × G crops. In 2018, the Colombian Oil Palm Research Center (Cenipalma) released artificial pollination, which consists of applying naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) as a complement to assisted pollination, with the goal of promoting the formation of oil in parthenocarpic fruits. Given the recent introduction of artificial pollination, a research study was proposed with the objective of analyzing the cost-benefit relationship from introducing artificial pollination, both during the cultivation and oil extraction stages. From a methodological point of view, the costs per unit were estimated based on the outcome from plantations in the Colombian Urabá region using two different treatments: the first consists of carrying out assisted pollination during anthesis (applying E. guineensis pollen when the flowers are receptive); the second consists of complementing assisted pollination with NAA application at 7 and 14 days after anthesis. The results indicate that the use of NAA increases net income by 7.7% per hectare of crop. Furthermore, the production costs of a metric ton of palm oil decreases by −9% mainly due to the increase in the oil extraction rate.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), 2n=36, is a dioecious long-lived monocotyledonous plant. It is a dioecious plant with male and female flowers borne on separate palms. In commercial plantations, artificial pollination is essential for economical yield, since the female inflorescences are hand pollinated with selected pollen from males. It is generally known that pollen from different sources affects the yield and fruit quality. The pollen sources influences the size and shape of the seeds which is known as the xenia effect, and directly affects fruit set, yield and fruit physical and chemical characteristics referred to as the metaxenia effect. Many experiments have shown that no constant trend is detected for the genetic relationship between the pollen sources and commercial female cultivars. There is a clear relationship between them due to the ecogenetics (gene-environment interactions) for both the selected pollen source and the commercial female cultivar. The phylogenetic relationships among date palms can be investigated through fingerprinting analysis using RAPD. The RAPD–PCR can detect the genetic variability and the relationships among date palms, and also estimate the expression of similarity using the Dice coefficient. PCR is an enzymatic reaction, so the outcome can be significantly influenced by the quality and concentration of template DNA, PCR component concentrations and PCR cycling conditions.

Apple orchards require the presence of a different genotype to pollinate the fruit producing cultivar. This is due to the process of gametophytic self-incompatibility present in most species and cultivars of the genus Malus. The fruit producing cultivar and the pollinizer must be genetically compatible to ensure fruit set and symmetrical and adequate fruit formation. The aim of this work was to evaluate five potential pollinizers for the new apple cultivar SCS426 Venice by genotyping the self-incompatibility locus (S-locus) and by controlled pollination in the field. The S-locus was screened using molecular markers and the fertilization capacity was evaluated by monitoring the fruit set after artificial pollination. Three genotypes were identified as semi-compatible (selection 135/140, cultivar SCS433 Felix 3 and SCS425 Luiza) and two as fully compatible (‘SCS431 Felix 1’ and ‘SCS434 Felix 4’) with ‘SCS426 Venice’. Regardless of the level of compatibility, all genotypes tested are efficient for the fertilization of ‘SCS426 Venice’ flowers and can be used as pollinizers in commercial orchards of this cultivar.

Pollination and subsequent fertilization are needed to ensure fruit set in stone fruit crops. Knowing the pollination requirements for particular cultivars is a necessity for an appropriate orchard design. Pollination management is receiving increasing importance due to the release of a number of new cultivars of unknown pollination requirements in most Prunus species. In addition, variable environmental conditions due to climate change and the interest in expanding stone fruit crops to new production areas with different climatic conditions are leading to a lack of coincidence in flowering time between pollinating and pollinated cultivars in many situations. In this work, the available information on pollination requirements of cultivars of the most cultivated stone fruit crops (almonds, apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums) is reviewed, paying special attention to the reproductive process, the self-(in)compatibility of each cultivar, the inter-incompatibility S-alleles and incompatibility groups, and the external factors affecting flowering and pollination. Results obtained in the last decades have allowed establishing the pollination requirements of most commercial cultivars in the main stone fruit crops. However, for the coming years, it will be necessary to continue determining the self-(in)compatibility and the inter-incompatibility relationships of the new releases.

Meaningful conservation techniques for the endangered Morus boninensis require seed production and storage, since in situ purebred seed production is infrequent in Ogasawara Islands (World Natural Heritage Site) in Japan. Ex situ living M. boninensis specimens produced seeds by open- and artificial-pollination in a greenhouse. Seed desiccation tolerance and storage characteristics were examined. Open-pollinated seeds were dried at 75, 33 and 8% relative humidity (RH) for 5 days then cryopreserved at -170 °C. Artificially pollinated seeds were dried at 8% RH then stored cryogenically at -170 °C and in freezers at -80 or -20 °C for 6 months. Germination rates were compared among seeds before and after drying and storage. Germination rates of undried seeds were 83% for open-pollinated seeds and 65% for artificially pollinated seeds. M. boninensis seeds exhibited the characteristic high desiccation tolerance of orthodox seeds and maintained a high germination rate after drying to a moisture content of approximately 4%. Cryopreservation of open-pollinated dry seeds with moisture contents of ca. 12, 7 and 4% maintained germination rates, while cryopreservation of undried seeds (moisture content ca. 44%) resulted in no germinability. Cryogenic and freezer storage of artificially pollinated dry seeds for 6 months resulted in maintenance of germination rates comparable to undried seeds before storage. Seed production was enabled by ex situ M. boninensis collection. The present study also developed a method for low temperature seed storage. Ex situ living tree collection represents a feasible seed resource for reintroduction and restoration programmes for M. boninensis.

Kiwifruit is a new emerging crop for the southeastern United States that requires cross-pollination to set fruit. However, the pollination requirements for varieties grown in the southeastern United States are unknown. Through insect surveys and a bagging experiment, we assessed the pollination requirements of two female kiwifruit cultivars (Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis ‘AU Golden Sunshine’ and A. chinensis var. chinensis ‘AU Gulf Coast Gold’). For each, fruit quantity (fruit set) and fruit quality (weight, size, seed count, firmness, soluble solid content, and dry matter) were compared among three pollination treatments (wind, insect, and artificial pollination). Low abundances of insects were observed visiting female flowers of both kiwifruit cultivars, and therefore likely minimally influenced kiwifruit pollination. Artificial pollination resulted in the greatest percentages of fruit set and marketable fruits, followed by insect and wind pollination. Artificial pollination resulted in fruits that were greater in weight, size, and contained more seeds, than insect- and wind-pollinated fruits. Firmness and soluble solid content did not vary greatly between pollination treatments, yet were greater in ‘AU Golden Sunshine’. Dry matter content did not vary greatly between pollination treatments or between each cultivar. To maximize yields and optimize fruit quality, these results suggest that kiwifruit producers should place more effort into artificial pollination compared to wind and insect pollination. Future research should explore the use of managed bees (e.g., honey bees and bumble bees) within kiwifruit orchards to determine ways to utilize them as a secondary source for pollination needs.

Ceratostigma willmottianum (Plumbaginaceae) is a perennial herb native to China. Many species of Plumbaginaceae have been reported to exhibit heterostyly. Determining the functional breeding system of C. willmottianum can improve our understanding of the reproductive ecology of heterostylous plants. We investigated the floral traits and pollen and stigma characteristics in a natural population, and artificial pollination was carried out in an artificial population. It was found that C. willmottianum was distylous with short (S)- and long (L)-styled morphs, did not exhibit precise reciprocal herkogamy and was partially self-compatible but primarily outcrossing. In the artificial pollination experiments, the pollen tubes reached the base of the style under intermorph pollination, whereas they rarely penetrated the style under intramorph pollination and self-pollination. Both the L and S morphs exhibited a high seed set after intermorph pollination, whereas the seed set under intramorph pollination was lower. Therefore, C. willmottianum may spread the chance of receiving pollen between the two morphs by nonreciprocal heterostyly, which may be a unique mode of ecological adaptation in Plumbaginaceae. We believe that our discovery could provide new ideas regarding the origin and evolution of heterostyly.

Objective To explore the influence of biological characteristics on the yield of Amomum villosum Lour. and Amomum longiligulare T. L. Wu, to find an effective pollen viability evaluation method and storage method to solve the problem of the low yield of Amomum plants. Methods Five germplasm of Amomum plants were used to investigate the effects of the phenological phase, pollen viability, and stigma receptivity on natural and artificial fruit set. Results Amomum longiligulare T. L. Wu showed late flowering, and its natural pollination rate is higher than that of Amomum villosum Lour. In all germplasm, the artificial pollination rate and fruit setting rate are more than 3 times higher than that under natural conditions. Fruits begin to drop seven days after successful pollination, and the fruit drop is basically stable after one month. The hybridization verification showed that TTC method was simpler and more accurate than in vitro germination method. Optimal storage conditions for pollen are 4°C and high humidity. After 36 h of storage, pollen can still be used for artificial cross-pollination or as hybrid parents. Conclusion The special biological characteristics are the fundamental reason for the low natural pollination rate of Amomum plants. The accurate measurement method of Amomum plants pollen is the TTC method, and storage at 4°C and high humidity can increase the yield, which was six times that of the natural yield.

Pollination is one of key determinants of yield production in important crops, such as grains and beans in which seeds are utilized as agricultural products. Thus, to fulfil food demand for growing world population, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms that regulate pollination, leading to increase in yield production. In this study, we compared detailed morphological characteristics of reproductive organs in Arabidopsis thaliana grown under control conditions or subjected to heat stress. Shorter length of anthers, filaments, and petals were observed in plants subjected to heat stress compared to those under control conditions. In contrast, heat stress resulted in enlargement of stigma via elongation of stigmatic papillae. Classification of stigmas based on patterns of pollen attachment indicated that pollen attachment to stigma clearly decreased under heat stress. In addition, artificial pollination experiment demonstrated that stigma shrank when pollen attached, but, continued to enlarge in the absence of pollen. Such modulation of stigma size depending on the presence or absence of pollen was observed both under control and heat stressed conditions. Taken together, these results suggest that elongation of stigmatic papillae is associated with failure of pollen attachment to the stigma, rather than heat stress. Furthermore, histochemical staining experiments suggest that Ca2+ derived from pollen together with O2 - might be associated with morphological alteration of stigma depending on the patterns of pollen attachment.

To study how honey bees utilize forage resources and guide pollination management plans in crops, a multitude of methods have been developed, but most are time consuming, costly, and require specialized skills. Colored pan traps for monitoring activity-density are a simple, efficient, and cost-effective alternative, however, their usefulness for studying honey bees is not well described. We examined if trap color, location within a field, and the presence of managed colonies affected estimates of honey bee activity-density within soybean fields. Soybeans are visited by pollinators but do not require these visits for seed development. Pan traps, especially those colored blue, captured more honey bees when colonies were present. There were no differences in activity-density based on placement of traps within a field nor with increasing distance from colonies. Throughout the season, activity-density in soybeans was constant but tripled after soybean ceased blooming, suggesting spikes in pan trap captures may indicate periods of forage scarcity. Activity-density did not correlate with the population size of worker bees at a site, but did correlate with number of colonies present. We conclude that pan traps can be useful for assessing honey bee activity, particularly for estimating colony presence and identifying times of forage scarcity.

The fruit set in monovarietal &lsquo, Manzanillo&rsquo, olive orchards is significantly increased under cross-pollination. This response lead to pollination designs including pollinizer selection, the number of pollinizer trees per hectare and their distribution in the orchard. However, the assignment of a substantial area to pollinizers of lesser commercial value might decrease profits. The strong influence of variable climates on the overlap of the blooming phenology of &lsquo, and its pollinizer, and on pollen production and dispersal, are also notable risks. Artificial pollination is a feasible alternative to pollination designs, especially for wind-pollination crops such as olives. Here, we present the effects of treatments with different number (zero, one, two or four) of mechanical applications of &lsquo, Barouni&rsquo, pollen on fruit set, size, yield, and cost&ndash, benefit ratios in heavy- and light-flowering trees of &lsquo, trees situated in monovarietal orchards in Sonora, Mexico. Our results showed that, in &ldquo, on&rdquo, years (seasons where most trees display abundant flowering), a larger number of cross-pollen artificial applications increased more the final fruit set, yield and, hence, the profits. Fruit size was scarcely affected by the number of applications, although treatments with lower fruit sets had a higher proportion of large-sized fruit and less fruit of petite size. Despite its higher costs, the higher increase in yield made it more profitable to apply cross-pollination four times throughout the blooming period. On the other hand, no significant differences were observed among treatments, regardless of the number of pollinations, in the &ldquo, off&rdquo, season (the season in which most trees had a light flowering level).

Summary Natural and artificial flower pollination are critical processes in the life cycle of flowering plants. Declines in the number of global pollinator insects, the heavy labor of conducting artificial pollination manually, and the rising cost of pollen grains are considered to be significant worldwide problems. Here we show that chemically functionalized soap bubbles exhibit effective and convenient delivery of pollen grains to the targeted flowers thanks to their stickiness, softness, high flexibility, and enhancement of pollen activity. By exploring the physicochemical properties of functional soap bubbles, we could prepare mechanically stabilized soap bubbles capable of withstanding the windmills produced by robotic pollination. An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a soap bubble maker was autonomously controlled to pollinate flowers. Such technology of automatic intelligent robotic pollination with functional soft materials would lead to innovative agricultural systems that can tackle the global issues of pollination., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Developed soap bubbles exhibit various biological and physicochemical properties • The soap bubbles allow effective flower pollination • A flying robot equipped with a bubble maker can be used for autonomous pollination, Surface Chemistry; Agricultural Science; Engineering; Robotics

Recent declines in insect pollinators and the increasing dependence on insect pollination in agriculture present major challenges to ensuring future food production. As part of the effort to deal with this challenge, there is a pressing need to understand growers’ perceptions with regard to pollinator diversity and crop pollination management. At present, many growers are dependent on domesticated honey bees (Apis mellifera), however, targeted management strategies involving naturally occurring pollinator species might be necessary to ensure future crop pollination. In this study we used semi-structured interviews to explore growers’ knowledge about crop pollination and current practices to manage insect pollination in sweet cherry cultivation. Our findings suggest that growers have a clear understanding of the importance of pollination and its determining factors. However, with respect to their current pollination management, growers depend mainly on honey bees and only apply measures to enhance wild pollinator communities to a limited extent. Our study highlights the gap between the growers’ perception of the contribution of wild pollinators to crop pollination, and their efforts to manage these species. We conclude that this is due to a lack of communication of recent scientific findings on the contribution of pollinating insects to crop pollination through the information channels that are being used by growers today. It is therefore crucial that scientists, government and other stakeholders work together with growers and communicate scientific evidence as well as practical guidelines to growers.

The history of the creation and development of the orchid collection of the Stock greenhouse of the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences is shown. The first orchids were obtained from the botanical gardens and flower firms of Germany in 1948; the number of natural species was 140. A complete list of preserved German orchid species, including 65 species from the 29 genera, is given. Further stages forming of the collection of orchids are described. Now the collection of tropical orchids of the Stock greenhouse includes 1328 species, subspecies, and varieties of orchids, belonging to 250 genera, and 69 species that are included in various categories of IUCN. The main areas of research with living collection plants are listed. These include the inventory and maintenance of an electronic database, the study of orchid adaptation to cultivation in greenhouses (morphology, phenology, symbiotrophism), reproductive biology issues (embryology, artificial pollination, seed morphometry), cryopreservation, and in vitro cultivation.

Kiwifruit vine artificial pollination was firstly studied in New Zealand and in Italy in the 80s in order to optimize the kiwifruit fruit set and production. Nowadays it is a crucial technique useful to increase fruit quality and size. However, artificial pollination efficiency depends on the timing of application and the pollination system. The main objective of this study is to decipher the relation between the floral stage and the pollination technique. Many parameters were analyzed in different environments in Italy for many years, such as pollen quality (germinability, humidity, conservation), pollination system (dry or liquid) and flowering stage. The petals fall and full bloom-early petal fall stages result in the best moments for dry and liquid pollination respectively. The dry blower pollination system gave the best results because, at the end of flowering, the pistil exudate is at its maximum and a larger number of ovaries are receptive with respect to the liquid pollination at full bloom. This observation leads to the definition of a new model crop fruit set that could be applied in other anemophilous pollinated tree such as olive tree, hazelnut, pistachio.

Studying the hazel flowering was carried out in agro-ecological conditions of the Banja Luka in the period from December to March during 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. The study was conducted on 13 hazel cultivars in two orchards. In the first orchard, the following four cultivars were observed: ‘Tankoljuskasti’, ‘Multiflora’, ‘Merveille de Bollwiller’and ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, whilst the second orchard included the following: ‘Hall’s Giant’, ‘Gustav’s Zellernuss’, ‘Istrian Round’, ‘Avellana’, ‘Romai’, ‘Apolda’, ‘Ludolph’s Zellernuss’, ‘Imperiale de Trebizonde’and ‘Jean’s’. Phenological observations of the development of flowering phenophase with the aforementioned cultivars were monitored every three days in both years. In 2010/2011 the blooming of male and female inflorescence of the observed hazel cultivars lasted from late December to mid-March in total. The presence and pollen germination was proven to be a limiting factor for a successful pollination and fruit set in 2011. Namely, the pollen of cultivars: ‘Hall’s Giant’, ‘Istrian Round’, ‘Ludolph’s Zellernuss’, ‘Avellana’, ‘Imperiale de Trebizonde’ and ‘Romai’ did not germinate, and with ‘Gustav’s Zellernuss’, pollen germination was very low (7,22%). In ‘Apolda’, ‘Jean’s’, ‘Merveille de Bollwiller’, ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’, ‘Multiflora’ and ‘Tankoljuskasti’ pollen germination ranged between 28,57-81,69%. In 2011/2012 the flowering of male and female inflorescence of the observed hazel cultivars started 30 to 45 days later than the previous year i.e., female inflorescence of all the observed cultivars bloomed in early and mid-March, except in ‘Tankoljuskasti’, in which female inflorescence bloomed in late January and early February. Male inflorescence of ‘Tankoljuskasti’, ‘Hall’s Giant’ and ‘Gustav’s Zellernuss’ bloomed in the second half of January and early February, and in all other cultivars in mid-March. Pollen germination in 2012 proved to be a limiting factor for ‘Apolda’ and ‘Romai’, as their pollen did not germinate, as well as for ‘Hall’s Giant’ and ‘Jean’s’ where pollen germination was below 5%. For other cultivars, pollen germination was very good and ranged from 37,24 (‘Merveille de Bollwiller’) to 73,97% (‘Multiflora’). Based on the analysis of dynamics of blooming and pollen germination of 13 hazel cultivars in two years, the monitoring of pollen germination and strategy of artificial pollination must be adopted as a basic approach to control hazel fertility in the conditions of the Banja Luka region.

Very little is known about pollination and its effects on the yield and physicochemical properties of flowering plants in tropical countries. Wind and insect pollinators are among our natural resources because pollination is the most important ecosystem service performed by wind and insects, and is vital to the socio-economic status of human beings. In this experiment, different pollination methods for tomato plants were examined. Self-pollination was encouraged by covering the plants with a plastic sheet. Wind and insects were excluded from these plants, and thus only self-pollination was possible. The experiment occurred during the flowering stage. Wind-pollinated plants were covered with a muslin cloth, which excluded insects, and only wind could pass through the cloth. For insect pollination, plants remained uncovered, allowing free access to insects to pollinate the flowers. At fruit maturity, when fruits were completely red, fruits from each treatment were harvested on the same date and under the same conditions. Results illustrated the substantial importance of insects as pollinators of tomato crops. Open field had greater tomato yield and positive effects on physicochemical properties on fruit than under self and wind pollination. Keywords: Pollination methods, Tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, Physicochemical properties, Yield

de la Pena, E., Perez, V., Alcaraz, L., Lora, J., Larranaga, N., Hormaza, I. 2018. Pollinators and pollination in subtropical fruit crops: management and implications for conservation and food-security. Ecosistemas 27(2): 91-101. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1480 The commercialization and consumption of tropical fruits has grown worldwide during the last decade. This trend is expected to continue, due to the increasing world population and the greater demand for these products in western markets. As in most fruit crops, one of the main bottlenecks in production is pollination, which determines fruit-tree and pollinator management to a large extent. Pollination management is therefore a defining factor in the composition and diversity of agro-systems. Because of this, the intensive production of fruit crops in many areas of the world requires adequate management of crops to enable: (1) an optimal production of fruit crops; (2) the conservation of insect communities. This is particularly important in developing countries, where the centers of genetic diversity of these crops are generally found and pollinator diversity is often poorly known and seriously threatened by agricultural intensification. However, some of these crops have been introduced into geographic areas away from the native areas of origin, which is an agronomic challenge but, at the same time, provides an opportunity to study and test under controlled conditions new management strategies. In this work we present a brief review on pollinators and pollination in subtropical fruit crops focusing on three species of international economic relevance such as mango, avocado and cherimoya. With the knowledge acquired on these species in a Mediterranean context, we propose a road-map to develop appropriate management strategies in other fruit crops and geographical areas.

We compare two different sizes of honey bee colony units: singles (one brood chamber) and doubles (two brood chambers) in hybrid seed canola pollination in southern Alberta in 2014 and 2015. Currently, canola seed production companies only contract double-brood chamber units to pollinate canola in southern Alberta, but it may be advantageous to the industry if singles could also be contracted for pollination, as they are in many other crops. To evaluate the differences between the colony units, we measured population size, nectar and pollen foraging, nectar and pollen load weights, pollen collection, and honey production. The colony populations of both the single- and double-brood chamber hives in this study were highly variable. In 2015, there was no difference between the single- and the double-brood chamber colonies in adult bee populations, and the singles had more sealed brood than did the double-brood chamber colonies. Our findings indicate that in comparison to doubles, on a per-frame basis, singles yield more pollen, more nectar foragers, similar or more pollen foragers, and similar amounts of honey. Therefore, we conclude that singles could be used to provide the same level of pollination services as doubles currently do in hybrid seed canola pollination, and growers should focus on receiving healthy populous colonies, regardless of the number of brood boxes.

There is growing demand for pollination services in agricultural production, which contrasts with declines of wild and managed pollinator populations. Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) is a mass-flowering crop that depends on pollination services and is increasingly cultivated in South Africa. We studied the crop’s pollination in South African orchards considering variation in landscape context and the spatial arrangement of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera). We conducted pollination experiments and pollinator observations on macadamia trees along a distance gradient from orchard edges that bordered either near-natural or human-modified habitats. In addition, we mapped position and density of honeybee apiaries at orchard-level. Nut set of macadamia trees strongly relied on animal-mediated pollination: pollinator exclusion reduced the initial nut set (3 weeks after pollination) by 80% and the final nut set (15 weeks after pollination) by 54%. Supplemental hand-pollination of otherwise untreated flowers increased initial and final nut set by 66% and 44%, respectively, indicating substantial pollination limitation. The landscape context only weakly affected pollinator visitation to macadamia trees, with reduced visitation closer to orchard edges bordering human-modified habitats. Furthermore, we observed almost no wild pollinator species. Instead, honeybees constituted 99% of all visits, whereby honeybee visitation rates increased with a tree’s connectivity to apiaries. However, neither initial nor final nut was related to visitation rates, and the final nut set was actually reduced where honeybee colony density was high, with a predicted 50% reduction in final nut set between the lowest and highest colony densities. Our study demonstrates a strong pollination limitation in South African macadamia orchards, where managed honeybees fail at delivering the increasing need for pollination services. Indeed, increasing their colony densities may further limit their pollination efficiency. A pollination management that also includes non-Apis managed pollinators and wild pollinators is possibly needed to increase nut set and provide solutions for increasing pollination service demands. In intensive macadamia orchards, this can also necessitate the need for more pollinator-friendly management practices, including habitat restoration and reduced pesticide application.

Artificial pollination is key in the commercial production of the sugar apple (Annona squamosa). The influence of the marked climatic seasonality typical of the semi-arid regions, characterized by two seasons (dry and rainy) where this crop is grown on pollen grain development and performance and, consequently, productivity is unclear. To assess whether pre- and post-pollination events are sensitive to seasonal variations, the anther structure, the pollen grain ultrastructure and germination, the in vitro growth of the pollen tube and the fruit set of the species were investigated in the dry and rainy seasons in central Brazil. Floral bud development time and thermal requirement were, 22 days and 360.8 degree-days in the dry season and 34 days and 622.2 degree-days in the rainy season, respectively. Anther development was slower in the rainy season, but the anatomy was not affected. Pollen grains showed greater mucilage content, reserve accumulation, in vitro germination and pollen tube length in the rainy season. Although seasonality did not influence the efficiency of artificial pollination, its effects on microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis, promote higher fruit quality in the rainy season.

Melastoma malabthricum is the type with the widest area of spread compared with other species in the genus Melastoma. This research uses floral phenology observation method and pollination experiment by using bagging technique, emasculation and artificial pollination. Stigma receptivity was tested according to the Matson method. The results showed that M. malabathricum’s flowers take 14 until 21 days from bud to flower bloom. Stigma M. malabathricum is already present and receptive before anthesis flower. Fruit can be formed through self pollination (autogamy) and cross pollination (xenogamy). M. malabathricum pollination approaches the xenogamy facultative.

Pollinator declines coupled with increasing demand for insect pollinated crops have the potential to cause future pollinator shortages for our most nutritious and valuable crops. Ensuring adequate crop pollination may necessitate a shift in pollination management, from one that primarily relies on the managed European honeybee (Apis melliferaL.) to one that integrates alternative pollinators. While a growing body of scientific evidence supports significant contributions made by naturally occurring, native bees for crop pollination, translating research to practice requires buy-in from growers. The intention of agricultural extension is to address grower needs and concerns; however, few studies have assessed grower knowledge, perceptions and attitudes about native pollinators. Here we present findings from questionnaire-based surveys of over 600 apple growers in New York State and Pennsylvania, coupled with ecological data from bee surveys. This hybrid sociological and biological survey allows us to compare grower knowledge and perceptions to an actual pollinator census. While up to 93% of respondents highly valued importance of native bees, 20% growersdid not knowhow much native bees actually contribute to their orchard pollination. Despite the uncertainty, a majority of growers were open to relying on native bees (up to 60% in NY and 67% in PA) and to making low-cost changes to their farm's management that would benefit native pollinators (up to 68 in NY and 85% in PA). Growers consistently underestimated bee diversity, but their estimates corresponded to major bee groups identifiable by lay persons, indicating accurate local knowledge about native bees. Grower reliance on honeybees increased with farm size; because native bee abundance did not measurably decrease with farm size, renting honeybees may be motivated by risk avoidance rather than grower perception of lower native bee activity. Demonstrated effectiveness of native pollinators and clear guidelines for their management were the most important factors influencing grower decision to actively manage orchards for native bees. Our results highlight a pressing need for an active and research-based extension program to support diversification of pollination strategies in the region.

Species often interact indirectly with each other via their traits. There is increasing appreciation of trait‐mediated indirect effects linking multiple interactions. Flowers interact with both pollinators and floral herbivores, and the flower‐pollinator interaction may be modified by indirect effects of floral herbivores (i.e., florivores) on flower traits such as flower size attracting pollinators. To explore whether flower size affects the flower‐pollinator interaction, we used Eurya japonica flowers. We examined whether artificial florivory decreased fruit and seed production, and also whether flower size affected florivory and the number of floral visitors. The petal removal treatment (i.e., artificial florivory) showed approximately 50% reduction in both fruit and seed set in natural pollination but not in artificial pollination. Furthermore, flower size increased the number of floral visitors, although it did not affect the frequency of florivory. Our results demonstrate that petal removal indirectly decreased 75% of female reproductive output via decreased flower visits by pollinators and that flower size mediated indirect interactions between florivory and floral visitors.

An ultrasonic pollination device was developed to achieve effective artificial pollination of strawberries in plant factories with artificial light. Hundreds of ultrasonic transducer were used to obtain several tens of force [mN]. The phase of each transducer was appropriately controlled, and focused on one point in space. The force was modulated at 20 to 30 Hz which is the characteristic frequency of strawberry flower. The pollination experiments were conducted using the strawberry variety “Akai Shizuku”. A marketable rate of strawberry fruit in the ultrasonic pollination plot reached the highest 91.7% at 40 Hz.

Pollinators and pollinizers play pivotal role in pollination of arid and semi-arid horticultural crop species for sustaining the crop diversity and production systems. Many horticultural crops such as ber, aonla, pomegranate, phalsa, fig, jamun, citrus, bael, khejri, cucurbits, field beans etc. require insect pollinators for efficient pollination) to gain the higher yield. The pollinators and pollinizers increase quantitative and qualitative traits of horticultural crop produce. The present paper provides comprehensive information on the role of native as well as managed pollinators in the arid and semi-arid horticultural crop production. It is necessary to understand the importance of pollinators and pollinizers species richness or diversity in their natural habitat and role in crop improvement. The pollination with honeybees, knowledge about pollinizers, pollinator’s management and artificial pollination are major horticultural inventions to enhance the yield and quality in horticultural crops, since they are highly cross pollinated crops, and promote beekeeping industry to produce good quality honey.

Enhancing salt stress tolerance is a key strategy for increasing global food production. We previously found that long-term salinity stress significantly reduced grain fertility in the salt-sensitive barley (Hordeum vulgare) accession, ‘OUC613’, but not in the salt-tolerant accession, ‘OUE812’, resulting in large differences in grain yield. Here, we examined the underlying causes of the difference in grain fertility between these accessions under long-term treatment with 150 or 200 mM NaCl from the seedling stage to harvest and identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for maintaining grain fertility. In an artificial pollination experiment of the two accessions, grain fertility was significantly reduced only in OUC613 plants produced using pollen from plants grown under NaCl stress, suggesting that the low grain fertility of OUC613 was mainly due to reduced pollen fertility. Using QTL-seq combined with exome-capture sequencing and composite interval mapping of recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between OUE812 and OUC613, we identified a QTL (qRP-2Hb) for grain fertility on chromosome 2H. The QTL region includes two genes encoding an F-box protein and a TIFY protein that are associated with male sterility, highlighting the importance of this region for maintaining grain fertility under salt stress.

Cultivation of pollinator-dependent crops has expanded globally, increasing our reliance on insect pollination. This essential ecosystem service is provided by a wide range of managed and wild pollinators whose abundance and diversity are thought to be in decline, threatening sustainable food production. The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is amongst the best-monitored insects but the state of other managed pollinators is less well known. Here, we review the status and trends of all managed pollinators based on publicly accessible databases and the published literature. We found that, on a global scale, the number of managed A. mellifera colonies has increased by 85% since 1961, driven mainly by Asia. This contrasts with high reported colony overwinter mortality, especially in North America (average 26% since 2007) and Europe (average 16% since 2007). Increasing agricultural dependency on pollinators as well as threats associated with managing non-native pollinators have likely spurred interest in the management of alternative species for pollination, including bumble bees, stingless bees, solitary bees, and flies that have higher efficiency in pollinating specific crops. We identify 66 insect species that have been, or are considered to have the potential to be, managed for crop pollination, including seven bumble bee species and subspecies currently commercially produced mainly for the pollination of greenhouse-grown tomatoes and two species that are trap-nested in New Zealand. Other managed pollinators currently in use include eight solitary bee species (mainly for pollination services in orchards or alfalfa fields) and three fly species (mainly used in enclosures and for seed production). Additional species in each taxonomic category are under consideration for pollinator management. Examples include 15 stingless bee species that are able to buzz-pollinate, will fly in enclosures, and some of which have a history of management for honey production; their use for pollination is not yet established. To ensure sustainable, integrated pollination management in agricultural landscapes, the risks, as well as the benefits of novel managed pollinator species must be considered. We, therefore, urge the prioritization of biodiversity-friendly measures maintaining native pollinator species diversity to provide ecosystem resilience to future environmental changes.

Despite the key role of pollination in the production of many crops, this is still one of the least understood factors in the orchard context. Pollen limitation, and impacts on crop production, is influenced by several potentially interacting factors such as crop or crop variety degree of dependence on cross pollination and on pollinators, diversity and abundance of the pollinator communities, landscape context and climate conditions. Understanding the pollination needs within an orchard is key to determine if the pollination is optimal or if it needs improvement. In some crops, such as kiwifruit, artificial pollination may be required where and when natural pollination cannot be improved or there is lack of pollen. In this study we quantified improvements to productivity resulting from artificial pollination and the efficiency of the technique for kiwifruit production and monetary gain on seven orchards distributed over the production range of this crop in Portugal. For that, we quantified orchard yield under 1) current natural pollination services, including pollination provided by wind and naturally occurring pollinator communities, 2) after artificial pollination and 3) under optimal pollination services. We characterized fruit production and key fruit traits such as fruit weight, size and caliber, and used production values, fruit caliber and respective market values to calculate the economic impact of pollination improvement. Results showed that pollen supply improved kiwifruit production in most orchards, either by changes in fruit set, fruit weight or both, and/or changes in fruit distribution by caliber and category. However, artificial pollination was not always efficient and/or needed. Contrarily to the expected, the artificial pollination treatment did not increase fruit weight but, in some orchards, it resulted in higher proportion of high-quality market fruits and/or lower proportion of unmarketable fruits. The changes in fruit traits translated into a tendency towards a small to moderate increase in monetary gain in four out of the seven orchards. This study reinforces the need to understand the current status of pollination services within the orchard context and to look at artificial pollination as a management tool in kiwifruit production. We conclude that pollination services in the study region might be sufficient to attain profitable yields; however, artificial pollination could be a useful tool under unpredictable pollination scenarios, but reviews of the efficiency of the methodologies used in this region are still necessary.

To study the flowering biology of Rhododendron pulchrum, we used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and paraffin sectioning to observe the microstructures of its floral organs, a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay to detect pollen viability in different periods, continuous observations to study flowering phenology, and artificial pollination and a benzidine-hydrogen peroxide method to determine stigma receptivity. R. pulchrum exhibited a centralized flowering phenology. The protogynous stigmas of R. pulchrum were able to receive pollen before flowering. The pollen grains of R. pulchrum fused into tetrads, the average ratio of the polar axis length to the equatorial axis length (P/E) was 1.05, and the pollen viability was highest in the initial flowering period, reaching 88.98%. The pollen/ovule (P/O) ratio was 266–328, and the outcrossing index (OCI) was 4, the vitality of R. pulchrum pollen remained high in the initial flowering and blooming periods. Compared with the lifespan of a single flower, pollen vitality remained high for most of the experimental period, thereby improving male fitness. The P/O ratio suggests that R. pulchrum may have a facultative outcrossing breeding system. The OCI estimation suggests that R. pulchrum is partially self-compatible, most likely requiring pollinators to complete pollination.

Nymphaea hybrid is a precious aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae that has esthetic, economic, medicinal, and ecological values. Owing to its spectrum of color, especially that of the rare blue strain of the genus Nymphaea, it has gained importance in the breeding of water lilies. However, the lack of research on its flowering characteristics and reproductive biology has severely hindered the reproduction and breeding of superior water lily varieties. In this study, the flowering phenology, floral characteristics, and flower-visiting insects of N. hybrid were assessed. The microstructures of stigmata and pollen grains were observed and the stigma receptivity was determined. Pollen viability was measured by an in vitro germination experiment. We also evaluated the breeding system by measuring the pollen/ovule (P/O) ratio, determining the outcrossing index (OCI), and performing field pollination experiments. The N. hybrid population flowered from late May to mid-November, with a flowering period of approximately 160 days. The florescence of a single flower ranged for 3‒5 days from June‒August and for 5‒10 days from September‒November. Inverse herkogamy and protogyny were exhibited by N. hybrid flowers. Stigmata were wet with papillae distributed on their surface, and the pollen grains were oblate with granular ornamentation of different sizes on their surface. The pollen germination rate was highest when they were deposited in a medium containing 5% sucrose, 0.001% boric acid, 1% agar, and 20 mg/L calcium chloride and cultured at 30 °C. Stigma receptivity was the strongest on the 1st day of floral anthesis, and pollen viability was the highest between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on the 2nd day of floral anthesis. The P/O ratio suggests that xenogamy is the main reproductive system. Artificial pollination results indicated that N. hybrid favored outcrossing and required the participation of pollinators, such as Bombus lucorum L. and Xylocopa s.str. valga Gerstaecker, both of which are effective bee pollinators. These results can aid in formulation and implementation of strategies for N. hybrid hybridization programs, and can also improve the controlled pollination efficiency for agronomic and ornamental purposes.

Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is known as an essential oil producer. This species is commercially important as a source of essential oil especially in Australia. To improve its oil quality, research on artificial pollination between plus trees were carried out. The information about self-incompatibility and inbreeding depression due to self-pollination should be ascertained to support the pollination success. This study was aimed at examining the self-incompatibility of tea tree by conducting controlled self-pollination and cross-pollination. Controlled cross and self-pollination were carried out at a seedling seed orchard of tea tree, using four mother trees as experimental samples. Natural self-pollination was undertaken by bagging nopened flowers, without emasculation and counting the number of capsule set. Open pollination was used as a control treatment, of which the number of unopened flowers and the number of capsule set were counted. Observations revealed that no capsule was found from controlled self pollination (with the index self-incompatibility = 0), even though natural self-pollination produced low number of capsules (with the index self-incompatibility = 0.24). Therefore, it can be assumed that high level of self-incompatibility was took place in tea tree. Inbreeding depression also existed in this species, revealed by the decreased number of capsul set, lower seed germination rate of self-pollinated seeds than cross pollinated seeds. The slower growth of self-pollinated seedlings than cross pollinated seedlings in the nursery also indicated that inbreeding depression occured.

Management decisions underpinning availability of ecosystem services and the organisms that provide them in agroecosystems, such as pollinators and pollination services, have emerged as a foremost consideration for both conservation and crop production goals. There is growing evidence that innovative management practices can support diverse pollinators and increase crop pollination. However, there is also considerable debate regarding factors that support adoption of these innovative practices. This study investigated pollination management practices and related knowledge systems in a major crop producing region of southwest Michigan in the United States, where 367 growers were surveyed to evaluate adoption of three innovative practices that are at various stages of adoption. The goals of this quantitative, social survey were to investigate grower experience with concerns and benefits associated with each practice, as well as the influence of grower networks, which are comprised of contacts that reflect potential pathways for social and technical learning. The results demonstrated that 17% of growers adopted combinations of bees (e.g. honey bees, Apis mellifera , with other species), representing an innovation in use by early adopters; 49% of growers adopted flowering cover crops, an innovation in use by the early majority 55% of growers retained permanent habitat for pollinators, an innovation in use by the late majority. Not all growers adopted innovative practices. We found that growers' personal experience with potential benefits and concerns related to the management practices had significant positive and negative relationships, respectively, with adoption of all three innovations. The influence of these communication links likely has different levels of importance, depending on the stage of the adoption that a practice is experiencing in the agricultural community. Social learning was positively associated with adopting the use of combinations of bees, highlighting the potentially critical roles of peer-to-peer networks and social learning in supporting early stages of adoption of innovations. Engaging with grower networks and understanding grower experience with benefits and concerns associated with innovative practices is needed to inform outreach, extension, and policy efforts designed to stimulate management innovations in agroecosystems.

Pollination is a key reproductive event conducive to fruit set in Feijoa ( Acca sellowiana ). Flowers are uniflorous, often forming clusters and hermaphrodite, bearing stamens and one elongated carpel. Stamens are numerous ranging from 60 to 120 per flower depending on cultivar. Flowers do not produce nectar. Pollen grains are small with average size of 10–28 μm in diameter. Some cultivars bear barriers to self-fertilization e.g. self-incompatibility and dichogamy by protogyny. Feijoa can be self-pollinated and able to set fruit, or partially, self-fertile. Wind is a possible pollination agent, but more research is required to confirm it as a vector. Cross-pollination occurs among different cultivars. Birds are also reported as important pollinators. Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Thraupidae bird families are important floral visitors. Birds feed on feijoa petals and transfer pollen grains from their body parts to stigma, promoting pollination. Insects, particularly bees are also reported to be pollinators. However, this again is controversial. The small body of bees is unable to establish contact with the stigmatic surface. Experimental pollen germination, viability and tube growth are dependent on cultivar and culture media conditions. Few studies have been conducted on pollen germination. This review seeks to expand the current information on feijoa pollination in tropical and subtropical environments. It is expected that this review will be useful to senior researchers, undergraduate students, growers and the general public.

European pear ( Pyrus communis ) requires insect pollination among compatible cultivars for fruit production. However, most commercial orchards have a limited number of cultivars arranged in monotypic blocks or rows. This can result in insufficient inter-cultivar pollination. We hypothesise that limitations in pollen transfer among cultivars could be explained by both insect behaviour and orchard design. We compared insect activity and pollination efficiency in two European pear cultivars, in orchards with different designs: (i) cultivars alternated in the same row or (ii) cultivars in separate rows. To assess limitations in pollen transfer, we also compared hand pollination with compatible pollen versus open pollination by insects. Insect visitors mainly foraged on neighbouring trees within a row, with few movements across rows (1%). Honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) and bumble bees ( Bombus terrestris ) visited significantly more flowers per tree (8.5 vs. 3) and more trees (2.1 vs. 1.3) than solitary bees ( Andrena spp.) and hoverflies. Insect visitors deposited large amounts of pollen (∼500 pollen grains) on flower stigmas regardless of the insect type. Cultivar placement affected inter-cultivar pollination; less incompatibility signs were observed when cultivars alternated in the same row (5%) than when cultivars were in separate rows (38%). We observed limitations in pollen transfer as open pollination resulted in significant reduced fruit set, compared with hand pollination, in ‘Conference’ (21% vs. 30.7%) and ‘Doyenne du Comice’ (7.2% vs. 16.8%). The foraging behaviour of the insects limited thus inter-cultivar pollen transfer in the orchards with cultivars in separate rows. Cultivars used for pollination (pollinizers) should be planted in the same rows as the main cultivar to increase inter-cultivar pollination.

The genus Ficus comprises over 750 species that are predominantly found in the tropics and sub-tropics. All Ficus species are characterized by an enclosed spherical inflorescence (syconium) with a minute opening (ostiole). Each syconium also called fig contains along the inner side hundreds of unisexual flower. Figs are pollinated by wasps that belong to Hymenoptera, family Agaonidae. Pollination is unique because the wasp has to enter into the fig through the ostiole to access the flowers and often dies inside the fig after carrying out pollination as well as oviposition. Seed development can occur only if this specialized wasp exists and offspring of pollinator wasp cannot develop without the fig. Figs are monoecious or gynodioecious based on seed and wasp production within the fig. In monoecious species, seeds and wasps develop within the same fig, in gynodioecious species separate figs produce seeds and pollinator wasps. In order to pollinate, the fig wasp locates the fig using specific volatiles emitted by the fig and pollinates the fig either in an active or a passive manner. Edible figs have been cultivated since prehistoric times. Many parthenocarpic varieties have evolved during the long history of interaction of fig with man. The edible figs produce seeds without the involvement of pollinator wasp and its propagation is completely dependent on stem cutting. New cultivars and hybrids of edible figs have also been created by artificial pollination with different pollen donors. This overview will present information on pollination in Ficus and edible fig culture.

Pollination services, especially those of bees, play a vital role in agriculture. Declining honeybee populations require us to find alternative solutions for sustainable agriculture. Native bees are proving to be efficient pollinators. Mason bees (Osmia lignaria) provide valuable pollinator services for some woody orchard species, but their value as pollinators for herbaceous crops is largely untested. We assessed the effectiveness of O. lignaria supplementation on nine strawberry farms over two growing seasons. We specifically selected mason bees for this work because they emerge from cocoons in the springtime, when few other bees are available for pollination. Cocoons are easily deployed on farms and emerged bees have a small flight radius, so they remain localized. We placed cocoons on one side of each berry farm plot (our mason bee addition treatment) but not on the opposite side (our control). We tagged and monitored berries on nine farms throughout the growing season. We performed statistical comparisons of berries from the treatment and control for differences in berry growth rate and size. In addition, we supplemented farms with native bee homes constructed from three materials (bamboo, Phragmites and wood). This allowed us to determine whether adult mason bees would produce a subsequent generation of bees on farms and whether the bees had a preference for nest material type. Our work demonstrates that mason bees can be used successfully to pollinate herbaceous berry crops. We found that berry growth rate was significantly higher and berry volume was significantly larger for berries from the treatment relative to the control. We also found that adult bees successfully utilized the bee homes for laying the next generation of offspring and that bees colonized bamboo homes more than other home types. Synthesis and applications. Our results are the first to show that native mason bees (Osmia lignaria) can be used successfully to provide pollination services on strawberry farms. Their use results in the production of bigger berries and faster berry growth rates than managed honeybees alone. Mason bees overwinter (and can be purchased) in cocoons, offering great potential for efficient and effective pollination services, for a variety of agricultural applications across different geographical regions. The availability of suitable nesting sites and protection of subsequent generations of cocoons from wasp parasitization warrant future consideration.

Different pollinators may vary in their temporal flower-visitation patterns within crops, potentially extending the period pollination may occur. To assess whether this could be the case in kiwifruit, we conducted standardised observational surveys of insects visiting kiwifruit flowers within 31 orchards at three times: 10:00—11:00, 12:00—13:00 and 14:00—15:00 hr. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) represented 92% of visitations (n=5474), but temporal abundances were uneven (predicted abundances were lower at 14:00—15:00 hr). Predatory hover flies (Melangyna, Melonostoma, Allograpta spp.) also showed an uneven temporal pattern. There were no significant differences in the temporal abundances for buff-tailed bumble bees (Bombus terrestris), rat- tailed hover flies (Eristalis, Helophilus spp.), March flies (Dilophis nigrostigma), flower longhorn beetles (Zorion guttigerum) or the native bees (Leioproctus and Lasioglossum spp.) although, in some cases, low numbers may have masked potential unevenness trends. Variation in diurnal flower-visitation patterns among insects suggests the potential for complementarity between different pollinators.

The Japanese plum ‘Black Doris’ (Prunus salicina) is a self-infertile early-flowering crop so insufficient cross pollination and lack of pollinators could be factors to explain reported poor fruit set. This project assessed the relative abundance of flower visitors within a plum orchard and their movements among three orchards, as part of a wider study on plum pollination. Insect surveys conducted over three days across one orchard in 2014 identified a total of 479 individual pollinators. Honey bees represented 94.6% of all pollinators observed. To assess pollinator movement across the crop, 140 individual flower visitors were followed over a five-day period in 2014 and again in 2015 across three orchards. Bumble bees moved further within the orchard and visited more trees per minute than foraging honey bees, while silvereyes visited more than twice as many flowers per minute than any other insect flower visitor.

A growing body of evidence suggests that wild bees play an important role in agricultural pollination. It is very difficult, however, to accurately quantify the contribution of wild bees relative to honeybees in most crop systems. We quantified the relative contribution of honeybees and wild bees to the pollination of an economically important, insect-pollinated crop (apple). We use an empirical dataset to identify which of three functional traits (body size, pollen load purity, and flower handling behavior) contribute significantly to seed set. We find that flower handling behavior and abundance were the only functional traits that significantly predict seed set. When we take into account flower handling behavior and abundance, wild bees contributed significantly more to seed set than honeybees in the apple orchards we surveyed. Our findings suggest that land managers may benefit from focusing on supporting communities of wild bees, rather than investing in honeybee hive rental.

Bees play a vital role in strawberry pollination, for fruit quality and increased productivity. Greenhouse experiments were conducted at the National Beekeeping Institute, in collaboration with EU-AU Sponsored ICIPE Bee Health Project. Using honeybee pollinators increased super quality fruits (84% total). Harvested industry fruits were absent in the open field plants, outside the greenhouse, with multi-pollinators. These, however, greatly reduced in the harvested fruits, inside the greenhouse (4.3% total), with the honeybee as the sole pollinator, demonstrating the superiority of the latter in enhancing strawberry productivity through pollination.

Most apple cultivars are self-sterile and completely dependent on cross-pollination from a different cultivar in order to set fruit. Various insects may be pollinators, but the main one is the honey bee [HB] (Apis mellifera). However, despite the advantages of the honey bee as pollinator of many plants, it is a relatively inefficient pollinator of apple flowers. The main reason for this is the tendency of HBs to visit the apple flower from the side (sideworker), thus “stealing” nectar without touching the flower’s reproductive organs – stamens and stigma. In contrast, a bee that visits the flower from the top (topworker) contacts the flower’s reproductive organs, which results in better pollination. Due to the low pollination efficiency, few seeds are formed, and often the resulting fruit is too small to be of commercial value. Experiments conducted in Israel over the last few years have shown for the first time that adding bumblebees [BB] (Bombus terrestris) into pear orchards improved cross-pollination, thus increasing the number of seeds and subsequently fruit size. The goal of the present work was to test the hypothesis that adding BBs to apple orchards may improve cross-pollination. We found that adding BBs to the HBs in the apple orchard improved pollination in all tested cultivars, especially in ‘Gala’, which naturally suffers from relatively few seeds in the fruit. It appears that the addition of BBs did not only increase the number of pollinating insects in the orchard that could perform cross-pollination, including in the cool mornings and in adverse weather conditions, but that it also changed HB foraging behavior, which resulted in improved cross-pollination and increased efficiency, and subsequently more seeds and larger fruit. The improved pollination was due to the greater mobility of HBs between rows of pollinated cultivar and pollenizer, and to the greater proportion of topworkers, which are more efficient pollinators.

A significant portion of world food supply depends on the action of pollinators, which for most crops are primarily domesticated and “wild” bees. Over 75% of pollinator value in the USA accrues through the actions of domesticated honey bees. However, the number of commercial honey bee colonies in the USA has been declining for seven decades due to parasitic arthropods, diseases, and various stresses. The recognition that honey bees, and the crops they service, are vulnerable has accelerated the search for alternative species of bees for pollination of selected crops. Foremost among potential alternatives are native solitary species such as Osmia lignaria propinqua, the “Blue Orchard Bee” (BOB), whose use as a pollinator of almonds, cherries, and apples is increasing. The BOB occurs on public lands managed by the USDA Forest Service, and the USDI Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. BOBs are targets of “trappers” who place mostly unauthorized “trap-nests” of various designs on public lands. Several problems result from this “Tragedy of the Commons” situation: (1) the unsupervised removal of target bee species from their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems as pollinators of native plants; (2) the removal, as bycatch, of many nontarget species of bees and wasps that also employ trap-nests to rear their progeny; and (3) the shipping of these bees into areas where they do not occur naturally. We argue that unauthorized trap-nesting on public lands should be prohibited and offer several proposals to legalize commercial trap-nesting at a reduced level.