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Pollination is frequently identified as an important ecosystem service to agricultural production. In contrast, ecosystem disservices are rarely considered. This study explores pollinator service versus disservice in lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) production. This crop is highly managed, requires insect pollination, and has a relatively long bloom; when combined, these characteristics may cause a portion of early season pollination to result in premature ripening and loss. To test this, we exposed early and late flowering clones to early season (wild) pollination only or late season (wild and managed) pollination only. Contrary to our hypothesis of disservice, pre-harvest loss, shatter, and sugar content were consistent across treatments, even though early season pollination plots exhibited heavier berries. Remarkably, early season pollination plots produced over 70% of the total production of late season pollination plots. These results suggest that early season pollination by wild pollinators does not present an ecosystem disservice to lowbush blueberry production.

This study investigated the effect of different fruit setting methods on fruit quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) under protected cultivation. The results showed that artificial and honey bee pollination decreased single fruit weight compared with 1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea (CPPU) treatment, whereas the lowest value was observed in artificial pollination. Artificial and honey bee pollination apparently increased sucrose content, and the increased activity of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) was the key reason. In addition, total content of amino acids (17 kinds) were increased by 31% and 28% in artificial and honey bee-pollinated fruits compared with CPPU treatment, respectively. Honey bee pollination also improved single fruit weight and taste compared with artificial pollination. Therefore, we can conclude that artificial and honey bee pollination can improve the quality of melon fruits. In addition, honey bee can provide a better pollination service compared with artificial pollination for melons grown under protected cultivation systems.

Development of F1 cabbage hybrids is concerned to difficulties of artificial pollination, low ability to developovary leading to low seed productivity in parental lines. The aim of the study is to improve the seed productivity of self-pollinated parental line 3/14C for F1 cabbage hybrid ‘Krasotka’. Secondary plant metabolites such as steroid glycosides can help overcome these difficulties and increase the seed productivity (Blandinskaya et al., 2013). 3/14C-line was propagated by backcrossing flowers in bud stage with artificial self-pollination, using water solutions of steroid glycosides ‘Moldstim’ and ‘Melongozid’ (in concentrations 0.1%, 0.01%, 0.001% and 0.0001%). Seed productivity was evaluated according to methods that were elaborated earlier (Bukharov A.F. et al., 2011, 2013). It was established that all parameters of seed formation and development were increased significantly under treatment of steroid glycosides ‘Moldstim’ and ‘Melongozid’ in mentioned concentration. Differences were significant at the 5%-level of significance. Concentration of 0.001% was more effective than other both preparations. These preparations stimulated all phases of seed development. Number of fruits was increased by 16-39%, a number of seeds per one the pod was also increased by 17-38%, mass of 1000 seeds was increased by 9-12%. Thus, the seed productivity of parental line 3/14C F1cabbage hybrid named ‘Krasotka’ was increased by 44 to 105% as result of the action of steroid glycosides. Thus, ‘Moldstim’ and ‘Melongozid’ in concentration of 0.001% can be recommend as physiological stimulators to improve seed productivity in parental lines necessary for development of F1 cabbage hybrids.

Siraitia grosvenorii is a dioecious cucurbitaceae plant that is native to southern China and prevalent in Guangxi Province. Natural pollination of this species is difficult, and artificial pollination is therefore the main approach for its cultivation. The fruit set of the plants largely depends on the biosynthesis and crosstalk of phytohormones. Here, we show that parthenocarpic fruit can be induced by 1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-3-phenylurea (CPPU, an active cytokinin) and gibberellin (GA3) in S. grosvenorii. In addition to pollination, similar changes were detected in the external quality and sweet mogrosides of parthenocarpic fruits. Furthermore, the transcriptome of S. grosvenorii fruits was assessed by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the fruits set were compared with those in untreated ovaries. Excluding 2794 common DEGs, large numbers of genes expressed specifically in parthenocarpic (2281) or pollinated (6191) fruits were found. In conclusion, CPPU and GA3-induced parthenocarpic fruits offer novel insights for the large-scale cultivation of S. grosvenorii. This study yielded a number of candidate genes that can be applied in further studies to improve fruit quality and yield.

ABSTRUCTHeat stress can seriously impact on yield production and quality of crops. Many studies uncovered the molecular mechanisms that regulate heat stress responses in plants. Nevertheless, effects of heat stress on the morphology of plants were still not extensively studied. In this study, we observed the detailed morphological changes of reproductive organs in Arabidopsis thaliana caused by heat stress. Larger area of stigma, and shorter length of anthers, filaments and petals were observed in plants subjected to heat stress compared to those under controlled conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that length of stigmatic papillae without pollens seemed to be longer than that with pollens. In addition, classification of stigmas based on pollen attachment patterns together with artificial pollination assay revealed that pollen attachment onto stigma was clearly decreased by heat stress, and indicated that heat induced elongation of stigmatic papillae might be associated with disturbance of pollen attachment onto stigma. Furthermore, histochemical staining experiments revealed that crosstalk between Ca2+ and NO derived from pollens and O2− derived from stigma might be associated with morphological alteration of stigma.

1. Pollination by insects is a key input into many crops, with managed honeybees often being hired to support pollination services. Despite substantial research into pollination management, no European studies have yet explored how and why farmers managed pollination services and few have explored why beekeepers use certain crops. 2. Using paired surveys of beekeepers and farmers in 10 European countries, this study examines beekeeper and farmer perceptions and motivations surrounding crop pollination. 3. Almost half of the farmers surveyed believed they had pollination service deficits in one or more of their crops. 4. Less than a third of farmers hired managed pollinators; however, most undertook at least one form of agri‐environment management known to benefit pollinators, although few did so to promote pollinators. 5. Beekeepers were ambivalent towards many mass‐flowering crops, with some beekeepers using crops for their honey that other beekeepers avoid because of perceived pesticide risks. 6. The findings highlight a number of largely overlooked knowledge gaps that will affect knowledge exchange and co‐operation between the two groups. Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Grant/Award Number: 841.11.001; Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnološkog Razvoja, Grant/Award Number: 43001; Natural Environment Research Council, Grant/Award Number: NE/K015419/1 and NE/N014472/1; Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS, Grant/Award Number: V4‐1622 and P1‐0255; Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division; Bayer Crop Science; European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Grant/Award Number: oc‐2013‐1‐15320; BBSRC, Grant/ Award Number: BB/R00580X/1; The Scottish Government Rural Affairs and the Environment Strategic Research Programme info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

ARFs in plants mediate auxin signaling transduction and regulate growth process. To determine genome-wide characterization of ARFs family in melon (Cucumis melo L.), ARFs were identified via analysis of information within the melon genomic database, and bioinformatic analyses were performed using various types of software. Based on different treatment methods involving dipping with the growth regulator Fengchanji No. 2 and artificial pollination, Jingmi No. 11 melon was used as the test material, and melon plants with unpollinated ovaries served as controls. The expression of ARFs during the early development of melon was analyzed via qRT-PCR. Seventeen genes that encode ARF proteins were identified in the melon genome for the first time. The expression of these ARFs differed in different tissues. The expression levels of CmARF2, CmARF16-like, CmARF18-like2, and CmARF19-like were especially high in melon fruits. The expression of ARFs during the early development of melon fruits differed in response to the different treatments, which suggested that CmARF9, CmARF16-like, CmARF19-like, CmARF19, CmARF1, CmARF2, CmARF3, and CmARF5 may be associated with melon fruit growth during early development. Interestingly, the increase in the transverse diameter of fruits treated with growth regulators was significantly greater than that of fruits resulting from artificial pollination, while the increase in the longitudinal diameter of the fruits resulting from artificial pollination was significantly greater.

Background and AimsMycorrhizal associations in mycoheterotrophic plants are generally more specialized than in autotrophs. Mycoheterotrophs typically bear small, inconspicuous flowers that often self-pollinate to maximize seed set, although some have structurally complex flowers indicative of xenogamy. A trade-off has previously been proposed between specialization in these above- and below-ground symbioses, although empirical data are lacking.MethodsWe used next-generation DNA sequencing to compare the mycorrhizal communities from the roots of a mycoheterotrophic species, Thismia tentaculata (Thismiaceae), and its neighbouring autotrophs. We furthermore conducted detailed assessments of floral phenology and pollination ecology, and performed artificial pollination experiments to determine the breeding system.Key ResultsThismia tentaculata maintains a symbiotic association with a single arbuscular mycorrhizal Rhizophagus species. The flowers are pollinated by a single species of fungus gnats (Corynoptera, Sciaridae), which are attracted by the yellow pigments and are temporarily restrained within the perianth chamber before departing via apertures between the anthers. The plants are self-compatible but predominantly xenogamous.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that T. tentaculata maintains highly specialized associations with pollinators and mycorrhizal fungi, both of which are widely distributed. We suggest that specialization in multiple symbiotic interactions is possible in mycoheterotrophs if redundant selective pressures are not exerted to further restrict an already constrained suite of life-history traits.

Sonneratia &times, hainanensis, a species once endemic to Hainan Island in China, is now endangered. China&rsquo, s State Forestry Administration lists this species as a wild plant species with an extremely small population. Field fixed-point investigations, artificial pollination, and laboratory experiments, as well as other methods, were applied to study the reproductive system and seed germination of S. &times, hainanensis to elucidate the reasons for the endangerment of this species. The results are as follows: (1) Outcrossing index, pollen-ovule ratio, and artificial pollination showed S. &times, hainanensis has a mixed mating system and mainly focuses on outcrossing with some self-compatibility. (2) Fruit and seed placement tests showed that the fruit predators on the ground were mainly Fiddler crab and squirrel, with the predation rates being 100%. The artificially spread seeds do not germinate under natural conditions. The mean seed destruction rate and remaining rate of were 82.5% and 17.5%. (3) Seeds need to germinate under ambient light conditions, with an optimal photoperiod of 12 h. Seed germination is extremely sensitive to low temperatures because of optimum temperatures from 30 &deg, C to 40 &deg, C. At an optimal temperature of 35 &deg, C, the seeds germinate under salinities ranging from 0&permil, to 7.5&permil, with an optimal salinity of 2.5&permil, which shows the sensitivity of seed germination to salinity, with low salinity promoting germination, whereas high salinity inhibits germination. These findings indicate that the limited regeneration of S. &times, hainanensis is caused by the following: (1) Pollen limitation and inbreeding recession caused by the extremely small population of S. &times, hainanensis. (2) Seeds near parent trees are susceptible not only to high fruit drop rate, but to high predation beneath the parent trees&prime, canopy as well. (3) Seed germination has weak adaptability to light, temperature, and salinity.

N1-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N3-phenylurea (CPPU), a synthetic cytokinin-active compound, is widely applied to induce parthenocarpic fruit set and enhance melon fruit enlargement (Cucumis melo L.). CPPU may also influence fruit quality, however, the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unknown. We investigated the differences in volatile emissions between parthenocarpic fruit set by CPPU (C) and seeded fruit set by artificial pollination (P). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed that six volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the P-group fruits were not detected in C-group fruits. The relative abundances of another 14 VOCs emitted by the CPPU-treated fruits were less than those in the P-group fruits. RNA sequencing analysis indicated that a total of 1027, 994, and 743 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the C20 (treatment with 20 mg·L–1 CPPU) vs. P, P-C20 (pollination followed by 20 mg·L−1 CPPU treatment) vs. P, and P-C20 vs. C20 treatments, respectively. Compared with the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, the DEGs related to fatty acid degradation and metabolism, which contribute to volatile production, were enriched. In particular, DEGs such as carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD)-, lipoxygenase (LOX)-, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-, and alcohol acyltransferase (ATT)-related genes were closely related to the formation of volatiles. In summary, our study provides a metabolic and transcriptomic atlas, reveals the impact of CPPU on VOCs, and enhances our understanding of the mechanisms of CPPU that contribute towards generally reducing the quality of melon fruit.

Date palm is a dioecious tree that bearing male and female inflorescence on separate trees. Although pollination of date palm occurs naturally, in order to guarantee productivity, the artificial pollination can be carried out in commercial date farms. Up to now, an efficient mechanical pollinator has not been developed, and pollination is still carried out manually in most date farms. In this regard, an ultra-light, efficient electrical date palm pollinator was designed and developed consists of a ducted fan, a body and container composed of light polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and a 6.5 m long boom, which was made from carbon fiber. The apparatus overall weight was less than 2 kg, which makes the apparatus as a portable machine to sprinkle pollen/pollen-flour blend. The container had the capacity of approximately 70 g pollen, which could pollinate up to 140 trees in each charge. The pollinator performance was evaluated on the Mazafati cultivar by the aid of a complete randomized designed experiment with five pollinated treatments (traditional, 0.5 g pollen, 2.5 g pollen, 5.5 g pollen-flour blend, and 2.5 g pollen with no repetition) and a non-pollinated treatment. Furthermore, the pollination and fruit setting efficiencies, pollen consumption index (fruits/g pollen), and the airflow characteristics of the pollinator were determined. Therefore, a model was introduced to determine the required pollen or blend (pollen-flour) mass flow rate as a function of discharged air velocity. According to findings, no significant difference was noted regarding the pollination and fruit setting efficiencies among five pollination treatments (p-value

Habenaria rhodocheila is different from other species in the genus as it has bright yellow-orange, orange-red or red floral colors and grows in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. It is listed as a level II protected plant in China. This study focused on details of the pollination mechanism, including floral structure, the pollinator and its behavior, the pollination process, and fruit set in its natural environment compared to controlled artificial pollination. Our results showed that the flowers of H. rhodocheila are self-compatible, but rely on a pollinating agent due to the lack of an automatic self-pollination mechanism. At three sites the flowers of H. rhodocheila were frequently pollinated by a species of the swallowtail butterfly Papilio helenus L. During pollination, the butterfly inserts its proboscis into the spur aperture. The base of the proboscis then contacts the viscidia and the pollinarium sticks to the insect, followed by contact between pollinia and stigmas. The length of the proboscis of P. helenus is comparable to, but slightly shorter than the length of the floral spur. The pollination activity generally occurs between 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM daily and is especially frequent between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM. These results suggest that the similarity between the length of the butterfly's proboscis and the length of the orchid's spur is a major factor contributing to the efficient pollination of H. rhodocheila in its natural habitat. Most species in Habenaria are moth-pollinated, whereas our research has shown that H. rhodocheila in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in China is specifically adapted to butterfly pollination by P. helenus.

Insect pollination services substantially enhance global major crops in terms of fruit quantity and potentially quality. Even Citrus crops, which have been supported by broad breeding programs and well-established agrotechniques, depend on pollinators to achieve high yields. In this study, the effects of pollination services on the production of ‘Lee’ and ‘Nova’ tangelos were experimentally assessed in north-eastern Brazil. The associated flower visitors were surveyed and the visitation pattern on tangelo flowers was described and quantified in the experimental orchard. Both cultivars were self-incompatible and mainly benefited from pollination services provided by honeybees, which was responsible for more than 90% of floral visits. Under this scenario of local pollination, fruit production was enhanced by 12% compared to that obtained from hand cross-pollination (intra-cultivar crosses), probably due to the several visits a flower received during anthesis involving multiple pollen parents. However, fruit size and weight achieved similar values in open pollination and hand cross-pollination. A high number of seeds per fruit was also attributed to bee pollination, which indirectly impacted fruit weight positively at least in ‘Lee’ tangelos. ‘Nova’ produced larger and heavier fruits than ‘Lee’. These differences in fruit traits between cultivars may not occur due to divergence of floral characteristics because ‘Nova’ and ‘Lee’ had similar floral traits. Nevertheless, the presence of other cultivars, avoidance of high number of clone plants and adequate pollination management in planted areas are required for plenty production of ‘Lee’ and ‘Nova’ tangelo.

Managed honey bees play an important role in global crop pollination. Maximizing their potential is likely to be of increasing importance to the global human supply. We explored the potential of waggle dance data to determine the spatial ecology of honey bees sited in a crop under commercial pollination. Over two springs, we video recorded and then decoded 834 waggle dances from colonies located in two apple and pear farms in Kent, U.K. We also obtained pollen samples from returning foragers and quantified the insects visiting apple and pear flowers. The vast majority (84%) of dances were for locations outside of the orchards in which our colonies were located. Accounting for the distance of orchards and oilseed rape fields from the study colonies, the amount of foraging per hectare in oilseed rape fields was greater than in orchards. The results of the present study indicate that maximizing the pollination services of managed honey bee colonies requires an landscape level approach that takes into account farm and foraging scale, as well as competing floral sources. The data also suggest that oilseed rape is a significant competitor to apple and pear flowers for honey bee visits.

Pollinator-dependent growers seek alternative pollination models as pollination-security concerns grow. Pollination reservoirs, set-aside bee foraging areas, may offer growers a practical tool for increasing wild bee populations and decreasing reliance on managed bees. We review the literature on pollination reservoirs regarding a) effectiveness, b) reservoir-to-crop ratios, and c) costs and benefits. We discuss the relevant aspects of d) plant–pollinator relationships, e) landscape context, f) wild bees as pollinators, g) flower selection, and h) limitations. Recent research clearly suggests that pollination reservoirs can increase wild bee populations, crop yield, and profit. Last, we identify gaps that require additional research.

We studied the cross-compatibility among 91 inter-specific combinations and 21 inter-generic combinations in 7 Eriobotrya plants and 2 related genera (Raphiolepis indica Lindl. and Photinia serrulata Lindl.) using emasculation, bagging, and artificial pollination. Our results showed that 28 of the 91 inter-specific combinations set no fruit, which means nearly 30% of the combinations were incompatible. In the remaining 63 combinations, most showed partial cross-compatibility, and a few showed complete cross compatibility. Eriobotrya plants were incompatible with plants from their related genera (R. indica Lindl. and P. serrulata Lindl.). Backcrossing produced 5 compatible combinations, which could set fruits and produce F1 progeny but only after embryo rescue. Fruit setting ratios varied among various species used as male or female parents. E. prinoides Rehd. & Wils., common loquat (E. japonica) and Eriobotrya × daduheensis, used as female parents resulted in an average fruit-setting ratio of 36.2%–58.2%. E. deflexa Nakai and its two forms, and E. elliptica Lindl. as female parents resulted in 2.9%–16.3% average fruit-setting ratio; however, the fruit set ratio was higher (22.4%–43.1%) if they were used as male parents. Failure of E. deflexa f. koshunensis Nakai × E. prinoides Rehd. & Wils. hybrids to set fruit could be attributed to sporophytic incompatibility.

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) is an important fruit tree in West African parklands, and itssuccessful pollination is a requirement for fruit production. Size-based pollinatorexclusion experiments combined with visual observations showed that presence ofhoney bees (Apis mellifera jemenitica) was important for pollination and thereby theproduction of fruits and seeds. Smaller insects, mainly species of stingless bees(Hypotrigona spp. and Liotrigona cf. bottegoi) and solitary bees (Compsomelissaborneri) could partly compensate pollination in absence of honey bees, but fertilisationand fruit yield was reduced. A positive correlation between fertilisation percentage andnumber of honey bee colonies within radii of 900 m and 1,000 m was observed. Thepercentage of fertilisation and number of mature fruits per fascicle were higher in treeswith colonies of stingless bees in the trunk when honey bees were excluded bybagging. We conclude that local beekeeping with honey bees and stingless bees islikely to have a positive influence on fruit production of shea trees in the farmed WestAfrican parklands, which speaks in favour of a pollinator friendly environment.

The effectiveness of the alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata Fab., as a pollinator of alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (Trifolium repens), and zigzag clover (Trifolium medium), and its ability to reproduce on alsike clover and white clover were evaluated. Populations of the most important pollinators of the crop, the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., and various bumble bee species, Bombus sp., continue to decrease in North America, thus there is a need to evaluate alternative pollinators so that seed growers can optimize their choice of pollinator. Treatments consisted of plants caged to exclude all pollinators, plants caged with leafcutter bees, and plants exposed to all resident pollinators including the alfalfa leafcutter bee. These perennial clovers were essentially self-sterile, and produced very little seed when bees were excluded. Percentage seed set and yield were higher, or at least equal, for plants exposed to resident pollinators compared to ...

A new variety of seedless watermelon, with high sugar content, good taste, and easy storage has been developed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fluorescence staining, paraffin and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. The study investigated the mechanism behind the production of seedless watermelon after soft X-ray irradiation. The results showed that soft X-ray irradiation did not damage the cell walls of the watermelon pollen, and leading to normal pollination and fertilization. However, the chromosomal double helix of the watermelon pollen were damaged, thereby inhibiting embryotic developmental processes, leading to abortion of the embryo and degeneration of endosperm, which lead to the production of seedless watermelon. In conclusion, artificial pollination of pollen after soft X-ray irradiation can produce no seed watermelon, and the sugar content is higher than that of the seed watermelon. Key word: Watermelon, X-ray, seedless.

Year round availability of foraging resources is the key for ensuring diversity and abundance of pollinators, which is crucial for maintaining production of pollinator dependent crops. However, most often, this aspect remains ignored while defining management needs of crop pollinators. Realizing this knowledge gap, extensive surveys were conducted in Nana Kosi watershed of Kumaun west Himalaya, India, and monthly datasets on diversity of foraging plants generated. Among various forage species Cirsium verutum (D. Don) Sprengel, was found as important forage that attracts diverse pollinators and supports to maintain viable population of pollinators during lean period with minimum resource availability. The study recommends C. verutum as an important plant species for pollination management and ensuring sustained flow of pollination services in agricultural landscapes.

Field studies of pollination services of honey bees and wild bees were carried out at a watermelon crop in western Crete. Specifically, pollination treatment by honey bee or mining bee species was applied to female flowers of a watermelon plant. There were also three other treatments; a no-visit treatment, an open-pollinated treatment and a ‘hand’ pollination treatment. Comparisons were based on the number of single bee visits to treated flowers, fruit abortion rates, seed sets as influenced by bee type and the quality characteristics of the developed fruit. The main representative genus of wild bees in the studied area was Lasioglossum. Whilst it was possible that a single visit from either bee type effected pollination, wild bees needed a significantly lower mean number of visits to effect pollination than honey bees. In particular they spent three times as long at each flower compared to Apis mellifera. None of the studied quality characteristics of the developed watermelon fruits (mean weight, brix, number of seeds per fruit and weight of seed) differed significantly for both tested pollinators. The current study provides theoretical and practical evidence to the growers of watermelon crop of the existence of alternative pollinator species that can be targeted for development and management because of their high pollination efficiencies. Therefore the results support the hypothesis that the native bee community can provide an equivalent service to that of managed honey bee pollinators for watermelon, a crop that has heavy pollination requirements.

Among different flower visitors of coriander, Apis florea was the predominant visitor followed by A. dorsata and A. cerana. The activity of flower visitors were more at 11 00 h followed by at 10 00 h. Among different bee species, the activity of A. florea was reported from 09 00 to 12 00 h and from 16 00 to 18 00 h with maximum activity at 10 00 h. The activity of A. dorsata was observed from 09 00 h to 12 00 h and from 15 00 h to 18 00 h with maximum activity at 11 00 h. The studies on the effect of bee pollination on yield of coriander was undertaken at Spices Research Station, College Farm, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari during Rabi 2010-11 by confining A. cerana bees in plots of coriander variety DH 5 in cage condition i.e. Bee pollination (BP) which was compared with open pollination (OP) and pollination without insects (PWI). The number of filled seeds/umbel was significantly higher in BP (54.03) followed by OP (49.62) and lowest in PWI (27.40). The per cent seed set was significantly higher in BP (69.51 %) followed by OP (62.21 %) and minimum in PWI (54.89 %). Highest yield was obtained in BP (14.57 q/ha) which was at par with OP (14.26 q/ha) but significantly higher than PWI (11.66 q/ha). The 1000 seed weight was also highest in BP (5.68 g) which was statistically at par with OP (5.28 g) but significantly higher than PWI (4.09 g). The germination per cent of seed was also significantly higher in BP (75.91 %) which was followed by OP (73.09 %) and the lowest in PWI (62.76 %). The results indicated that bees have significant role in enhancing yield and quality in terms of seed weight and germination percentage of coriander. How to view point the article : Patil, P.N. and Pastagia, J.J. (2016). Effect of bee pollination on yield of coriander, Coriandrum sativum Linnaeus. Internat. J. Plant Protec., 9(1) : 79-83.

The lower seed setting is one of the major hindrances which face grain yield in rice. One of the main reasons to cause low spikelet fertility (seed setting) is male sterility or pollen abortion. Notably, pollen abortion has been frequently observed in advanced progenies of rice. In the present study, 149 BC 2 F 6 individuals with significant segregation in spikelet fertility were generated from the cross between N040212 ( indica ) and Nipponbare ( japonica ) and used for primary gene mapping. Three QTLs, qSS-1, qSS-7 and qSS-9 at chromosomes 1, 7 and 9, respectively, were found to be associated with seed setting. The recombinant analysis and the physical mapping information from publicly available resources exhibited that the qSS-, qSS-7 and qSS-9 loci were mapped to an interval of 188, 701 and 3 741 kb, respectively. The seed setting responsible for QTL qSS-1 was further fine mapped to 93.5 kb by using BC 2 F 7 population of 1 849 individuals. There are 16 possible putative genes in this 93.5 kb region. Pollen vitality tests and artificial pollination indicated that the male gamete has abnormal pollen while the female gamete was normal. These data showed that low seed setting rate relative to qSS-1 may be caused by abnormal pollen grains. These results will be useful for cloning, functional analysis of the target gene governing spikelet fertility (seed setting) and understanding the genetic bases of pollen sterility.

Honey bees are the most important managed pollinator worldwide and are vital to the success of modern agriculture. Native, wild bees are also important pollinators in both natural and agricultural systems, and are highly sensitive to habitat in the surrounding landscape. Few studies, however, have considered how managed honey bees, and their effectiveness as crop pollinators, may be influenced by variation in the surrounding landscape. If honey bees are influenced by areas outside of the crop fields in which they are placed, their effectiveness as crop pollinators could be diminished. The goal of this study was to determine whether the relationship between honey bee hive density and crop yield varies with the composition of the surrounding landscape. We collected historical (2000–2011) data on yield and honey bee hive stocking density from 38 commercial cranberry growers in central Wisconsin. Using mixed-model regression analyses we found that cranberry yield was strongly, positively correlated with hive density but this effect diminished as the proportion of the surrounding landscape in woodland increased. Thus, at cranberry marshes in low-woodland landscapes (e.g.

Pollination efficiency of hairy footed flower bee Anthophora plumipes for greenhouse strawberry was evaluated in a small greenhouse located in Shimane University, Matsue, Japan (lat. 35°29', long. 133°27' and elevation 170 m). Twenty five female and six male bees were released in a greenhouse on April 15, 2014. Red clay soil blocks were provided as the nesting materials. Two hundred and fifty pots of strawberry (Fragaria annanasa) were allocated for the following three treatments: 1) no supplementary pollination (control), 2) hand pollination, and 3) bee pollination. Both male and female bees effectively foraged flowers throughout the day. Rate of fertilized seed by the bee pollination was significantly greater than no supplementary pollination (control) and similar to that in the hand pollinated flowers. Quality of the fruits (evaluated based on the shape and deformity) was also improved by the bee pollination. A. plumipes effectively pollinated strawberry flowers in the greenhouse and could be developed as an alternative pollinator for this crop.

The safflower Carthamus tinctorius L. is a minor crop with poorly studied genetics. Four types of the corolla color are distinguished—red, orange, yellow, and white. Since the data on color inheritance are incomplete and contradictory, we have studied the inheritance of the yellow color in the safflower. The work was conducted in 2009–2013 and involved 11 accessions with red, orange, yellow, and white corollas. The accessions have been produced by self-pollination for several years. The progenies obtained by controlled and open pollinations were used in genetic analysis. Two emasculation techniques were used in artificial pollination: an Indian mass-emasculation technique with polythene bags and our own pollen washout technique. The data are statistically processed using the χ2 test. Several types of yellow color inheritance are observed. The crosses of a yellow-corolla plant to a plant with some other color yield yellow-corolla F1 progenies. The segregation in F2 gives all four colors, with the yellow variant being the most abundant. However, when the corolla of the parental plants is colored other than yellow, F2 in some cases contains fewer yellow-corolla plants, while other corolla colors are prevalent. The dominant gene determining the yellow color is designated as C (Chrome). The recessive allele of this gene permits the development of other corolla colors.

Breeders of the All-Russia Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable and Melon Growing created new breeding valuable maternal lines CL fms (cut-leaved, choriphyllous) and EL fms (entire-leaved, integrifolious) with the functional male sterility and high general combining ability suitable for the production of early ripening F1 hybrids of large fruited pumpkin. The conducted analysis of pollen of the forced open anthers of flowers with the functional male sterility demonstrated its high fertility (90.2%) allowing the use of this pollen for artificial pollination. It was found that the functional male sterility of large fruited pumpkin is inherited recessively and controlled by the one gene. Maternal lines CL fms and EL fms demonstrated a high level of general combining ability for the “ripeness” trait. F1 hybrids obtained based on these lines were superior to the standard mid-early ripening pumpkin variety Kroshka at 10–18 days; isolated hybrid combinations were at the level of standard variety in terms of yield and solids content. Maternal lines CL fms and EL fms allow the production of the hybrid offspring with brightly colored fruits in contrast to the maternal line LF fms (large fruited) that provided the hybrids with fruits that had different shades of gray color of the cortex. The majority of hybrid combinations allow obtaining fruits of portion size with an average weight of 1–3 kg and high productivity. F1 hybrid combination EL fms × Konfetka-ultra early ripening with colored fruits of portion size and high biochemical indexes was distinguished based on the complex of agronomic characters.

Reblooming daylily (Hemerocallis spp.), which blooms twice in a growing season, can significantly extend the florescence. However, the lack of genetic information about reblooming character resulted in the limitation for breeding. According to the North Carolina Design II (NC II), sixteen F1 populations were generated from the artificial pollination of eight reblooming parents. The results showed that foliage traits got more significant promotion than floral traits over both parents. H. ‘Early and Often’ (FM3) and H. ‘K2005001’ (M2) were considered as the ideal parents, based on the estimation of general combining ability (GCA). H. ‘Boothbay Harbor Gold’ × H. ‘Sagamore Bob Pelletier’ (FM1 × M1) had the largest special combining ability (SCA) value, becoming the greatest potential hybrid population. Leaf length and flower diameter had the largest broad-sense heritability (0.930) and narrow-sense heritability (0.763), respectively. Reblooming was significantly related to leaf number, making it possible to obtain rebloomers by selecting individuals with more leaves in the vegetative stage.

Different pollination techniqueswere applied to improve fruit quality in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward) in the province of Yalova. Openpollination was considered as the control, and additional pollinationexperiments are conducted. Experiments except for control; were openpollination + hand pollination (AT+ET), open pollination + artificialpollination (AT+ST), pollination using honeybee area covered by bee–veil(AKABAT), and pollination using bumblebee area covered by bee–veil (AKABOAT).Results indicate that the effects of additional pollination applications onfruit quality were important, and AKABOAT gives the best results with regard tofruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length and number of seed. In terms ofyield, AT+ST and AKABOAT applications were found to be superior., Bu araştırmada, kivide (Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward) meyve kalitesini artırmak amacıylafarklı tozlama uygulamaları yapılmış ve Yalova İli koşullarında iki yıl boyuncayürütülmüştür. Araştırmada, açıkta tozlanma kontrol olarak kabul edilerek,ilave tozlama uygulamaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kontrol dışındaki uygulamalar;açıkta tozlanma + elle tozlama (AT+ET), açıkta tozlanma + suni tozlama (AT+ST),arı tülüyle kapalı alanda bal arısıyla tozlama (AKABAT), arı tülüyle kapalıalanda bombus arısıyla tozlamadır (AKABOAT). Araştırma sonucunda; açıktaserbest tozlanmaya ilave tozlama uygulamalarının meyve kalitesine etkileriönemli bulunmuş, arı tülü ile kapalı alanda bombus arısıyla tozlama (AKABOAT)uygulamasının meyve ağırlığı, meyve eni, meyve boyu ve tohum sayısıbakımlarından en iyi sonucu verdiği tespit edilmiştir. Verim bakımından daaçıkta tozlanma + suni tozlama (AT+ST) ve arı tülü ile kapalı alanda bombusarısıyla tozlama (AKABOAT) uygulamaları daha üstün bulunmuştur.

CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior The present study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of artificial pollination and gibberellic acid (GA3) in different doses and times of application in the fruit set, effective fruiting and the quality of ‘Gefner’ atemoieira fruits. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with thirteen treatments, four replicates and five plants per plot. The treatments applied were different doses of GA3: 100, 150, 200, 250, 500 and 1000 mg L-1 associated or not with artificial pollination. It was evaluated every seven days the fruit set, length and diameter of the fruits, and after the harvest the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruits. The growth rate of fruit length and diameter showed a sigmoid pattern with the highest growth peaks in all treatments at the 4th and 5th weeks after the anthesis. The application of 1000 mg L-1 GA3, without artificial pollination, divided in four times from the anthesis yielded seedless fruits with physical and chemical quality equivalent to the fruits of artificial pollination. The artificial pollination associated to two applications of 250 mg L-1 of GA3 showed high fruit set and fruits with greater length, diameter, mass of the fruits and reduction of the total fresh mass of the seeds. O presente estudo foi realizado com objetivo de avaliar o efeito da polinização artificial e do ácido giberélico (GA3) em diferentes doses e épocas de aplicação no pegamento, frutificação efetiva e na qualidade de frutos de atemoieira ‘Gefner’. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com treze tratamentos, quatro repetições e cinco plantas por parcela. Os tratamentos aplicados foram diferentes doses de GA3: 100, 150, 200, 250, 500 e 1000 mg L-1 associados ou não com polinização artificial. Avaliou-se a cada sete dias o pegamento, comprimento e diâmetro dos frutos, e após a colheita as características físicas e químicas dos frutos. A taxa de crescimento do comprimento e diâmetro dos frutos apresentou em todos os tratamentos um padrão sigmoide com os maiores picos de crescimento na 4ª e 5ª semanas após a antese. A aplicação de 1000 mg L-1 GA3, sem polinização artificial, parcelada em quatro vezes a partir da antese originou frutos sem sementes, com qualidade físicas e químicas equivalente aos frutos de polinização artificial. A polinização artificial, associada a duas aplicações de 250 mg L-1 de GA3, apresentou elevado pegamento e frutos com maior comprimento, diâmetro, massa dos frutos e redução da massa fresca total das sementes.

Self-incompatibility (SI) is a type of reproductive barrier within plant species and is one of the mechanisms for the formation and maintenance of the high diversity and adaptation of angiosperm species. Approximately 40% of flowering plants are SI species, while only 10% of orchid species are self-incompatible. Intriguingly, as one of the largest genera in Orchidaceae, 72% of Dendrobium species are self-incompatible, accounting for nearly half of the reported SI species in orchids, suggesting that SI contributes to the high diversity of orchid species. However, few studies investigating SI in Dendrobium have been published. This study aimed to address the following questions: (1) How many SI phenotypes are in Dendrobium, and what are they? (2) What is their distribution pattern in the Dendrobium phylogenetic tree? We investigated the flowering time, the capsule set rate, and the pollen tube growth from the representative species of Dendrobium after artificial pollination and analysed their distribution in the Asian Dendrobium clade phylogenetic tree. The number of SI phenotypes exceeded our expectations. The SI type of Dendrobium chrysanthum was the primary type in the Dendrobium SI species. We speculate that there are many different SI determinants in Dendrobium that have evolved recently and might be specific to Dendrobium or Orchidaceae. Overall, this work provides new insights and a comprehensive understanding of Dendrobium SI.

Red pitaya is getting more popular in Indonesia recently as one of high antioxidant sources with a promising economic value. However, the production of this CAM plant is restricted by low success percentage of its natural pollination and self incompatibility problems. Therefore, artificial pollination is required to overcome these problems and increase its yield. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of pollination models towards the yield of red pitaya. This study was conducted using randomized block design with three pollination models applied into nine groups. Pollination models used were open pollination (P1), hand-self-pollination (P2) and hand-cross pollination (P3). Several floral-related parameters, including the elongation of flower bud, diameter of blooming flower, length of stigma, number and length of anthers, were assessed. Effect of different pollination models was also observed through some yield-related parameters, such as fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, harvesting age and number of fruit sets. This study revealed that hand cross pollination produced the best yield performance showing 541.1 gram of fruit with 11.5 in length and 8.66 cm in diameter. Harvesting age and number of fruit sets showed no significant difference among those three pollination models. Keywords: Pollination, red pitaya, yields, fruits, flowers

Maturity stage in harvesting time greatly affects seed vigour. This work aimed to scientific harvesting time of hybrid rice for being high vigour with high & stable seed yield. Field experiments of different harvesting time were conducted in 2013–2014, and germination percentage (GP), vigour index (VI), seed moisture content and 1000-grain weight was determined. Both GP and VI progressively increased to peaks and then began to decline with harvesting time delayed, and the regression coefficients of varieties were ranged from 0.7214 to 0.9066. In addition, difference values between tangent points (ΔX) of GP were higher than that of VI according to the quadratic functions. Based on seed vigour through the divided range from 75% to 125% of peak value, optimum harvesting time of IIY-416, JY-167, Yliangyou-1 (YLY-1) ranged from 17 to 27, 15 to 23 and 17 to 23 days after the completion of artificial pollination (DACAP), respectively. Moreover, when seedlots harvested from 17 to 23 DACAP, no significant difference was found on 1000-grain weight and the seed moisture content was kept relatively low (19–25%). Therefore, it can be concluded that hybrid rice seed can be earlier-harvest based on seed vigour, and 17 to 23 DACAP can be recommended as optimum harvesting time during hybrid rice seed production.

Rhododendron longipedicellatum is a narrow endemic species and a subject of urgent demand in the domestic market and overseas. Its fascinating shapes, brilliantly gilvous flowers, and unusual flowering time endow this species with extremely high ornamental value. However, only five wild populations of R. longipedicellatum surviving in limestone habitat have been found through elaborate field investigation, and the number of the populations decreases further or is even confronted with risk of extinction due to the damage of human activities. To enhance the protection and utilization of R. longipedicellatum, this study systematically investigated several important aspects of reproductive biology, including floral syndrome, pollen viability and stigma receptivity, petal color reflectance, breeding system, and pollination biology. The results demonstrated that arched styles not only create obvious herkogamy that avoide self-pollination, but also effectively reduce rain damage to the intrinsic characteristics of the stigma surface secretions, promoting the female fitness of R. longipedicellatum in poor weather. Pollen viability maintained a high level over the flowering period. The reflectance spectrum of petals had two peaks at wavelengths of 360 and 580 nm. Tests of OCI, P/O and artificial pollination all indicated that R. longipedicellatum was self-compatible and that the breeding system was mixed mating. Geitonogamy mediated by Bombus braccatus was the primary pollination route in the natural environment, which suggested that the breeding system of R. longipedicellatum might be evolving from selfing to outcrossing. The pollination vector of R. longipedicellatum was very specific, in that only B. braccatus was confirmed to deliver pollen to the stigmas. Visitation frequency was influenced by the activity rhythms and resource requirements of the different castes (i.e., sex). B. braccatus workers were the most effective pollinators because of higher visitation frequency and more effective contribution to fruit production, whereas the presence of B. braccatus males might enhance pollen flow within the population to a certain extent. Finally, these findings not only provided a reliable theoretical basis for hybridization breeding of R. longipedicellatum as parents, but also laid a solid foundation for further molecular biology studies to more broadly reveal the mechanisms of its endangerment in the future.

Pollination ecology and breeding system of Lilium pomponium L. were studied, and their effect on the reproductive outcome was assessed. This species has high conservation interest in Europe, because it is included in Annex V of the EU Habitat Directive and it is one out of the five Lilium species listed in IUCN Global Red List. To achieve our aim, the pollen vectors as well as the effect of bagging, emasculation and artificial pollination on reproductive output were studied. The most frequent visitor was the Lepidopteran Gonepteryx rhamnii. In general, reproductive outputs were close to zero for all the self-pollination treatments; however, geitonogamy and facilitated selfing seem slightly more efficient than autogamy, as also confirmed by self-compatibility and autofertility indices. Altogether, our results suggest a self-incompatible outcrossing breeding system, with a poor capacity for selfing. Nevertheless, climate change and anthropic threats might promote a shift toward self-fertilization, even maladaptive, favouring the few individuals able to produce selfed seeds.

This study aimed to provide information on the biology and floral resources, stigmatic receptivity and viability of pollen grains during rainy season and dry season, and to evaluate the efficiency of natural and artificial pollination on quality of fruits of eight passion fruit cultivars sourced in Tangará da Serra - MT. Five commercial cultivars and three populations of the genetic improvement program of the sour passion fruit from the Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso were evaluated. The climatic conditions of the rainy season favored the greater development of the floral pieces. The sugar concentration in the nectar presented higher averages in the rainy season, in all cultivars, except for FB 200. The climatic conditions of the dry season favored the replacement of the nectar volume. All cultivars evaluated presented pollen viability and stigmatic receptivity higher than 79% and 90%, respectively. The characteristics of fruit mass and percentage of pulp were better in artificial pollination, and the fruits obtained from natural and artificial pollination in all cultivars evaluated presented physical and chemical characteristics that are within the quality standards desired in the commercialization.

The reproductive behavior of Japanese plum has not been studied as in other Prunus species. Thus, a number of cultivars are particularly prone to erratic fruit set showing low yield for reasons that are not clear. Traditionally, the factors related to pollination have not been considered as causes of low yield in this crop, but in the last years lack of fruit set was recorded in different cultivars due to reproductive failure. Japanese plum, like other Prunus fruit tree species, is self-incompatible and requires cross pollination to ensure fruit set because this genus is unable to bear fruit parthenocarpically. Therefore, knowledge of pollination requirements of cultivars is essential to solve problems of low yield related to lack of pollination and for new orchard plantation plan with adequate proportion of pollinizers. The incompatibility relationships between Japanese plum cultivars have not been studied comprehensively until the last decade. An important amount of information has been revealed in this period, since a high number of commercial cultivars are currently available and new cultivars are being obtained from different breeding programs. In this article, the information available on the reproductive process in Japanese plum is reviewed, paying special attention to pollination factors and incompatibility relationships between cultivars. The S-RNase genotype of 222 cultivars compiled herein, allocated in 26 Incompatibility Groups, five of them described for the first time, will be valuable for fruit growers to choose adequate pollinators in commercial orchards, and for breeders to choose parental genotypes and select offsprings in breeding programs.

Successful conservation of pollination services depends upon an understanding of the processes that influence pollinator diversity within the landscape, as well as the relationship between pollinator community composition and the provision of services. In this study, the influence of landscape simplification on the composition of pollinator communities and the provisioning of pollination services to cultivated strawberry was evaluated (Fragaria × ananassa). Additionally the relative pollination efficiency for the five most common bee genera visiting strawberry flowers was measured. Pollinators were collected during bloom with pan traps on 14 commercial farms all growing the same strawberry variety in the Finger Lakes Region, NY, USA. The farms were chosen to represent a gradient in the proportion of agricultural land uses in the surrounding landscape from 0.09 to 0.60. Landscapes with greater proportions of agricultural area had lower pollinator abundances and species richness. While yield was positively correlated with pollinator abundance, species richness had little effect on the level of pollination services. This conclusion was supported by the finding that visitor identity did not explain pollination efficiency in strawberry. Our results show that a high proportion of agricultural land in the landscape negatively impacts wild pollinators and pollination services to strawberry.

Yield and nut quality in pistachio are highly dependent on cultural practices especially pollination. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of pollen suspension spray containing 0.01% and 0.02% boric acid combined with 1% (w/v) pollen on nut and kernel quality of pistachio (Pistacia vera L. cv. Owhadi). The experiment was carried out as RCBD with three replications over 2011–12 period. The results showed that application of medium containing agar (A) and 0.01% boric acid (B1) combined with 1% (w/v) pollen decreased fruit set in both years compared to control whereas nut splitting was increased during 2012. Pollen suspension sprays unaffected nut and kernel dimensions in both years but increased kernel proteins and decreased oil during 2011. According to this study, it could be postulated that artificial pollination in pistachio using pollen suspension spray is possible.

Flowering phenology of alpine plants is strongly determined by the timing of snowmelt, and the conditions of pollination of widely distributed plants vary greatly during their flowering season. We examined the reproductive success of the distylous alpine herb, Primula modesta, along the snowmelt gradient under natural conditions, and compared it with the result of artificial pollination experiments. In addition, the compositions and visit frequencies of pollinators to the flower of P. modesta were examined during the flowering period. The pin and thrum plants of P. modesta growing at the same site have an equal ability to produce seeds if a sufficient amount of legitimate pollen grains are deposited on the stigma surface. However, under natural conditions, their seed‐set success was often (even if not always) restricted by pollen limitation, and the functional gender of the pin and thrum plants biased to the female and male, respectively, associated with their growing sites. These variations were not ascribed to resource limitation nor biased morph ratio but to the seasonal changes in pollination situations, a replacement of pollinator types from long‐ to short‐tongued pollinators resulted in unidirectional pollen transfer from long stamens (thrum plants) to long styles (pin plants). The functional gender specialization may enhance the evolution of dioecy from heterostyly, but the severe pollen limitation may cause the breakdown of heterostyly into homostyly. To consider the evolutionary pathway of heterostylous plants, an accumulation of the empirical data is required demonstrating how phenological synchrony between plants and pollinators is decided and to what degree this relationship is stable over years, along with estimates of selection and gene flow in individual plants.

‘Soreli’ (meaning “sun” in the local language) is a selection of tetraploid Actinidia chinensis developed at the University of Udine and released in 2008. The main characteristics are: heavy cropping, large fruit size, and yellow flesh color. We report in the present paper the results of six years of observation (2007-2012) in three different locations from North to Southern-Italy. Budburst occurred 4-17 days before ‘Hayward’, with the earlier bud burst recorded in the South. Flowering time occurred almost constantly two weeks before ‘Hayward’, but in a range of dates encompassing up to three weeks in the different seasons and locations. Flowers were usually single. Fruit weight at harvest ranged from 85 to 147 g, according to location and season with the lowest values recorded in absence of artificial pollination. Orchards of the trial were not sprayed with plant growth regulators (PGR). Harvesting date, fixed by the protocol when fruit reached 8.0°Brix, ranged up to 25 days, with the extreme dates represented by September 23 and October 18. Soluble solid content averaged from 12.5 to 15.7, with erratic influence of location and season. Fruit quality, evaluated through a taste panel, was compared with two controls, ‘Hayward’ (green) and ‘Jintao’ (yellow) grown together with ‘Soreli’ in a single location. Authors discuss the marketing strategies that could be developed following the data on cropping and fruit quality of this new kiwifruit cultivar as observed in locations that greatly differed from each other for winter chilling unit accumulation, degree days, temperatures, rainfall and other climatic and soil parameters.

Commercial production of the kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta) is relatively new in northern and western Europe. When introducing the kiwiberry to a region where fruit growers have no experience with Actinidia, many challenges have had to be overcome. For instance, the profile of the growers willing to invest in this crop is very diverse, the geographic regions have their specific climatic and soil conditions and, clearly, cultivation of the kiwiberry has very specific requirements. Therefore, proper technical advice is extremely important to obtain productive orchards. Although A. arguta is quite hardy, spring frosts are a major concern and a strongly limiting factor for yields in Europe. In recent initiatives, different cultivars with a commercial potential are being screened for frost tolerance, but currently, frost protection using sprinkler irrigation is in many cases the only and most effective system. However, growing kiwiberries in greenhouses appears to be a valuable and commercially viable alternative in The Netherlands and Belgium. The combination of a recommended fertilizer program and irrigation management, artificial pollination methods, appropriate pruning and good training has proven to be a very successful approach with yields as high as 18 t/ha five years after planting. Apart from establishing productive orchards, the successful introduction of kiwiberry as a novel fruit onto the market involves other important issues as well. Since the price of new fruits is usually rather high, growers have to realize that a product quality is essential for long-term success. Therefore, much attention must be paid to efficient grading and stringent quality control.

Orchids are one of the most popular flowers in the world and Phalaenopsis genus shares maximum sales in global floral industry among them. Successful pollination, followed by capsule formation and in vitro seed germination, is a powerful tool for mass propagation of orchids. In the present study, flowers of Phalaenopsis cv. ‘Dublin’ were self-pollinated artificially during the months of November, December, January, February, March and April. The influence of pollination month over capsule formation was assessed and it was observed that pollination during December resulted as maximum with 86% capsule formation, followed by 72% during January. However, only 40% successful capsule formation occurred following pollination during April. Seeds from mature capsules developed through artificial pollination in different months were cultured on three different culture media (modified Chen, ½Murashige Skoog and Vacin-Went medium) for in vitro germination. A maximum of 97% germination of seeds (collected from capsules developed through pollination in January) was recorded on modified Chen medium. Nevertheless, the earliest initiation of germination occurred around 12 days of culture when seeds were harvested from capsules (derived through pollination in December) and inoculated on modified Chen medium. The plantlets developed following germination were rooted on ½MS supplemented with 2.5 g/l activated charcoal. Subsequently, well-rooted plantlets were acclimatized on potting mixture that contained cocopeat, charcoal, industrial cartridge and the bites of yonolit (1:1:2:4; v/v) with a very high rate of success. A seed culture protocol that crops a bulk number of seedlings in a short time span is advantageous and the present report eventually provides such simple yet proficient method that can be further tested.

International audience; AbstractDeclines in honey bee health and increasing demand for pollination services highlight a need to optimize crop pollination by wild bees. Apple is an economically important crop in eastern North America, requires insect pollination, and is visited by a diverse bee fauna, but a direct assessment of wild bee pollination in apple orchards is lacking. We combined measurements of two facets of pollination service, per-visit efficiency (fruit and seed set) and relative abundance, to estimate orchard-level, pollinator importance of mining bees (Andrena subgenus Melandrena), bumble bees (Bombus), and honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Average pollinator importance provided a relative measure that allowed comparison of pollination service among the three focal bees across the study region. On average, a wild bee visit resulted in higher pollen transfer to stigmas, but had the same probability of setting fruit and seed as a honey bee visit. Regionally, pollinator importance of Melandrena and Bombus were 32 and 14 % that of honey bees, respectively. Because per-visit performances were similar, such disparities in importance were based largely on differences in relative abundance. Although the summed pollinator importance of Melandrena and Bombus was less than that of the honey bee, these, and other, wild pollinators have a role to play in filling future pollination gaps, and thus, warrant further study and conservation.

A simple method for pollen collection and storage was devised for three litchi cultivars, namely, ‘Sanyuehong,’ ‘Shuidong,’ and ‘Guiwei’. This method could realize long-term pollen storage over periods of up to two years for artificial pollination and crossbreeding. The most suitable drying method for litchi pollen was the use of an air-blowing electric dryer at 35 °C for 6 h. The germination rate of pollen stored at different temperatures (30 °C, 25 °C, 15 °C, 4 °C, and −86 °C) was investigated. The pollen germination rate decreased to lower than 5% after 9, 16, 27, and 52 d at 30 °C, 25 °C, 15 °C, and 4 °C, respectively. A significant negative correlation was observed between pollen germination rate and storage time. For all litchi cultivars tested, pollen cryo-stored (−86 °C) for one year showed significantly higher germination rates than those stored under the other conditions. Pollen stored at −86 °C maintained a high germination rate of above 70% even after two years of storage. Thus, our results indicated that storage of pollen at 4 °C was suitable for field pollinations in the blooming season for up to two months. However, storage at −86 °C maintained the high germination rates required for artificial hybridization even in the second year of storage.

Alternative pollinators can ensure pollination services if the availability of the managed or most common pollinator is compromised. In this study, the behavior and pollination efficiency of Apis mellifera L. and two species of stingless bees, Plebeia emerina Friese and Tetragonisca fiebrigi Schwarz, were evaluated and compared in flowers of Brassica napus L. 'Hyola 61'. A. mellifera was an efficient pollinator when collecting nectar because it effectively touched the reproductive organs of the flower. In contrast, stingless bees were efficient pollinators only when collecting pollen. The number of pollen grains deposited on the stigma after a single visit by worker bees of the three species was greater than the number of grains resulting from pollination without the bee visits. On average, the three species deposited enough pollen grains to fertilize all of the flower ovules. A. mellifera and P. emerina had similar pollination efficiency because no significant differences were observed in the characteristics of the siliques produced. Although T. fiebrigi is also an effective pollinator, the seed mass produced by their pollination was lower. Native bees promoted similar rates of fruit set compared with A. mellifera. Thus, P. emerina has potential to be used for pollination in canola crops.

Aims When sympatric flowering plant species in a natural community share pollinators, study of plant–plant interactions via interspecific pollen transfer (iPT) is essential for understanding species coexistence. However, little is known about the extent of iPT between interactive species and its causes. Methods To explore how sympatric flowering plants sharing pollinators minimize deleterious effects of iPT, we investigated the pollination ecology of two endemic species, Salvia przewalskii and Delphinium yuanum, in an alpine meadow in the Hengduan mountains, southwest China. We quantified conspecific and interspecific visits by shared bumblebee pollinators, amounts of pollen placed on differ ent body sites of the pollinators and stigmatic pollen loads on openpollinated flowers. To examine whether iPT affects female fitness, we measured pollen germination and seed production in the two species in an artificial pollination experiment. Important Findings one bumblebee species, Bombus trifasciatus, was found to be the sole effective pollinator for the two coflowering species. Pollination experiments indicated that deposition of heterospecific pollen could significantly decrease seed set in both species. Experiments showed that S. przewalskii pollen could germinate well on stigmas of D. yuanum, inhibiting conspecific pollen germination in D. yuanum. However, seed set was not lower under open pollination than under cross-pollination within species, suggesting that no female fitness loss was caused by iPT. in foraging bouts with pollinator switches, switches from S. przewalskii to D. yuanum were relatively more frequent (8.27%) than the converse (1.72%). However, iPT from S. prze walskii to D. yuanum accounted for only 1.82% of total stigmatic pollen loads while the reverse iPT to S. przewalskii was 8.70%, indicating that more switches of bumblebees to D. yuanum did not result in higher iPT. by contrast, selection for reduced iPT to S. przewalskii would limit pollinator switches from D. yuanum. We found that a bumblebee generally carried pollen grains from both species but the two species differed in the position of pollen placement on the bumblebee’s body; S. przewalskii’ s pollen was concentrated on the dorsal thorax while D. yuanum’ s pollen was concentrated ventrally on the head. This differential pollen placement along with pollinator fidelity largely reduced iPT between the two species with a shared pollinator.

Wild bees, which exhibit multiple functional traits enabling pollination of apples (Malus domestica Borkh), can potentially compensate for recent declines in domesticated honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) that are conventionally employed to ensure apple fruit and seed set. Whether compensation is possible will depend on functional diversity in the wild bee community and on the distribution of habitat and resources within the landscape surrounding an orchard that affect wild bee abundance. We studied pollination services and bee functional diversity in 20 apple orchards in southern Quebec, Canada. We evaluated pollinator efficacy by studying: apple visitation rates, approach (front or side-working), body size, foraging type (pollen or nectar foraging), sociality, temporal and climatic activity patterns, and pollen carrying habit. Pollination services were measured as apple fruit set and seed set. A distance-based measure of functional diversity, calibrated with bee traits and weighted by species relative abundance in the wild bee community, was used to model pollination services. We correlated the landscape composition and configuration of surrounding natural (forest) and semi-natural (meadow) habitats with bee diversity and pollination services. The incidence of fruit set and seed set in orchards increased with bee functional diversity. Complementarity between managed versus unmanaged bees in traits associated with foraging and resource use drove this relationship. Seed set was also negatively correlated with both the mean distance from surrounding meadows and the total area of surrounding orchards. Bee functional diversity was positively associated with surrounding meadow and forest area. These two land classes complement each other in their seasonal provision of foraging resources for bees. Our models can be used to prescribe management and conservation objectives for bee habitat management that promote pollination services. We identify useful wild bee pollinators and discuss their needs in terms of landscape composition and configuration.