Search

To achieve maximised and sustainable crop productivity, it is critical that we develop crop-specific strategies for managing pollination. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and stingless bees (Tetragonula carbonaria) are considered effective pollinators of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia). The introduction of managed honey bee or stingless bee hives into orchards is likely to boost the numbers of these insects visiting flowers; however, there is a lack of published information and consensus regarding their management for pollination. Here, we identify factors that affect the distribution of both honey bees and stingless bees across cultivated macadamia, and establish whether increased flower visitation leads to higher nut set. A gradient of bee visitation rates was created by placing colonies on the ends of a four-hectare block, and mixed-effect models were applied to assess forager abundance and nut set with respect to distance from hive, time of day, cultivar, and floral display size. Distance from colony had a strong effect on stingless bee numbers, with >96% of individuals recorded within 100 metres of colonies, whereas the distribution of honey bees was more closely related to daily floral display: trees with greater numbers of flowers attracted more honey bees. Simplified surveys conducted in a further 17 macadamia blocks confirm that these are broadly occurring distribution patterns. Bee abundance alone did not significantly predict nut production; however, an indirect effect of bee visits to flowers is inferred, as nut production increased with size of floral display. To encourage a more even distribution of bees and uniform pollination, we recommend placement of stingless bee hives to maximise their distribution through a block (e.g. at 100-m intervals) and management practices that promote even distributions of flowers across trees.

Effective pollination is a complex phenomenon determined by the outcome of the interaction between pollen transfer and a plants' pollinator dependency, yet most studies investigate pollinator effectiveness without consideration of plant mating system differences. We investigated pollinator effectiveness in three types of blueberry that differed in their degree of pollinator dependency as measured by plant mating system: two self-compatible highbush cultivars and one partially self-incompatible rabbiteye cultivar. We quantified pollinator effectiveness as a function of the fruit set and fruit weight resulting from single and multiple floral visits (2–15 visits), in comparison with estimates of fruit set and fruit weight resulting from experimental pollination treatments (open-pollination, cross-pollination and self-pollination). Single-visit effectiveness of fruit set was similar across pollinator taxa but considerably higher in both self-compatible cultivars. The probability of fruit set in all three blueberry types improved in response to an increasing number of visits, but this relationship was steeper in self-compatible cultivars: >90% probability of fruit set was achieved in three to five visits. In the self-incompatible rabbiteye cultivar, 58% fruit set was achieved with 15 visits. Multiple visits improved fruit weight by 27%–48% in self-compatible cultivars, but there was no relationship in rabbiteye. Pollination deficits in fruit set and fruit weight due to self-pollination were most pronounced in rabbiteye. Synthesis and applications. Improved understanding of cultivar-level mating system differences in plants will inform pollination planning and management in agroecosystems. Self-compatible (highbush) cultivars require less floral visitation to maximize fruit production. Therefore, these cultivars may be best suited to landscapes in which pollinator abundance is low, such as intensive and/or simple landscapes. In contrast, self-incompatible (rabbiteye) cultivars may benefit from the implementation of mixed-cultivar crop row plantings to facilitate cross-pollination. (Less)

Many crop plants rely on insect pollination, particularly insect-pollinated crops which are functionally dioecious. These crops require insects to move pollen between separate plants which are functionally male or female. While honey bees are typically considered the most important crop pollinator species, many other insects are known to visit crops but the pollination contribution of the full diversity of these flower visitors is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the role of diverse insect pollinators for two kiwifruit cultivars as model systems for dioecious crops

Macadamia is partially self-incompatible and cross-pollination is considered important to improve yields. However, questions remain regarding the importance of self- vs. cross-pollination, and subsequently whether managed pollinators are useful in commercial orchards. Pollinators play a key role in cross-pollination, but for self-pollination, the protandrous florets might also benefit from the movement of potentially more viable self-pollen among florets, racemes, and trees through pollinator movement. There is also a lack of information on pollination deficits throughout orchards and whether by increasing the intensity of cross-pollination, final nut yield is limited by within-tree resource allocation. Using caged and bagged racemes on three cultivars, we found strong evidence for self-pollination, but no evidence that hand moving self-pollen within racemes, between racemes, or between trees improved final nut set. In all cases, hand cross-pollinated racemes yielded significantly more nuts. Hand cross-pollinated racemes also produced significantly more developed nuts than open-pollinated racemes (all racemes were exposed to pollinators). However, by increasing the intensity of hand cross-pollination per tree, we showed that resource allocation probably overinflates these measures of pollination deficit in macadamia. Despite this, our findings point to an opportunity to increase yields through additional cross-pollination, as high-intensity hand cross-pollination of flowering racemes within trees still resulted in increased nut set. Although self-pollination can occur in macadamia, to optimize yield potential, strategies to maximize cross-pollination should be adopted.

Avocado (Persea americana) has synchronously protogynous flowers: flowers open first in female phase before closing and opening the next day in male phase. Cultivars are grouped based on whether the flowers typically first open in female phase in the morning (type A), or in the afternoon (type B). However, it is known that environmental factors can alter the timing of flower opening, with cold temperatures being shown to affect the timing of flowering. The aim of this study was to investigate how low spring temperatures in New Zealand affect the flowering cycle of commercial avocado cultivars, focusing primarily on the receptive female phase of ‘Hass’, a type A cultivar. Time-lapse photography was used to assess flower opening times of ‘Hass’ over three years. Decreasing minimum overnight temperatures were associated with a delay in the timing of ‘Hass’ female flower phases and resulted in nocturnal flowering of both male and female phase flowers. We recorded insects visiting female flowers at night, and some nocturnal flower visitors collected were carrying avocado pollen. Our study suggests that nocturnal pollination needs to be considered for avocados grown in temperate regions. Furthermore, as the timing of the female phase of ‘Hass’ varied significantly with overnight temperature, the activity patterns of potential pollinators need to be considered to ensure adequate pollinator activity across the range of times in which ‘Hass’ flowers are receptive.

Avocado (Persea americana) has synchronously protogynous flowers: flowers open first in female phase before closing and opening the next day in male phase. Cultivars are grouped based on whether the flowers typically first open in female phase in the morning (type A), or in the afternoon (type B). However, it is known that environmental factors can alter the timing of flower opening, with cold temperatures being shown to affect the timing of flowering. The aim of this study was to investigate how low spring temperatures in New Zealand affect the flowering cycle of commercial avocado cultivars, focusing primarily on the receptive female phase of ‘Hass’, a type A cultivar. Time-lapse photography was used to assess flower opening times of ‘Hass’ over three years. Decreasing minimum overnight temperatures were associated with a delay in the timing of ‘Hass’ female flower phases and resulted in nocturnal flowering of both male and female phase flowers. We recorded insects visiting female flowers at night, and some nocturnal flower visitors collected were carrying avocado pollen. Our study suggests that nocturnal pollination needs to be considered for avocados grown in temperate regions. Furthermore, as the timing of the female phase of ‘Hass’ varied significantly with overnight temperature, the activity patterns of potential pollinators need to be considered to ensure adequate pollinator activity across the range of times in which ‘Hass’ flowers are receptive.

Protected cropping can increase orchard productivity; however, enclosed environments can be disruptive to pollinators. Bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) forage under covers, but industries lack guidelines for using them as pollinators. Here conservative stocking rates for bumble bees in covered kiwifruit orchards were identified using empirical manipulation of bee density and theoretical calculations based on bee behaviour. Bumble bee pollination at two bee densities (24 and 72 colonies/ha) was assessed within two fully netted sections (1/25 ha each) in a Gold3 kiwifruit orchard. Predictive modelling was used to estimate total bees required for pollination while actual pollination in the two blocks was measured directly. There was no difference in flower visitation rate between stocking densities but a 20% increase in seed set was found at high bee density. It was estimated that 90% of a Gold3 crop could be pollinated by 914 foraging bees/ha, or between 22 and 48 colonies/ha at the strengths used in this study. Bumble bees are effective pollinators in protected cropping environments and provide a viable tool for managed pollination under nets. A theoretical approach to refining stocking rates is a good option when manipulating pollinator densities is not possible.

Protective covers (i.e., glasshouses, netting enclosures, and polytunnels) are increasingly used in crop production to enhance crop quality, yield, and production efficiency. However, many protected crops require insect pollinators to achieve optimal pollination and there is no consensus about how best to manage pollinators and crop pollination in these environments. We conducted a systematic literature review to synthesise knowledge about the effect of protective covers on pollinator health and pollination services and identified 290 relevant studies. Bees were the dominant taxon used in protected systems (90%), represented by eusocial bees (e.g., bumble bees (Bombus spp.), honey bees (Apis spp.), stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini)) and solitary bees (e.g., Amegilla spp., Megachile spp., and Osmia spp.). Flies represented 9% of taxa and included Calliphoridae, Muscidae, and Syrphidae. The remaining 1% of taxa was represented by Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Of the studies that assessed pollination services, 96% indicate that pollinators were active on the crop and/or their visits resulted in improved fruit production compared with flowers not visited by insects (i.e., insect visits prevented, or flowers were self- or mechanically pollinated). Only 20% of studies evaluated pollinator health. Some taxa, such as mason or leafcutter bees, and bumble bees can function well in covered environments, but the effect of covers on pollinator health was negative in over 50% of the studies in which health was assessed. Negative effects included decreased reproduction, adult mortality, reduced forager activity, and increased disease prevalence. These effects may have occurred as a result of changes in temperature/humidity, light quality/quantity, pesticide exposure, and/or reduced access to food resources. Strategies reported to successfully enhance pollinator health and efficiency in covered systems include: careful selection of bee hive location to reduce heat stress and improve dispersal through the crop; increased floral diversity; deploying appropriate numbers of pollinators; and manipulation of flower physiology to increase attractiveness to pollinating insects. To improve and safeguard crop yields in pollinator dependent protected cropping systems, practitioners need to ensure that delivery of crop pollination services is compatible with suitable conditions for pollinator health.

Many pollinator species visit multiple crops in multiple regions, yet we know little about their pollination service provisioning at local and regional scales. We investigated the floral visitors (n = 13,200), their effectiveness (n = 1718 single visits) and response to landscape composition across three crops avocado, mango and macadamia within a single growing region (1 year), a single crop (3 years) and across different growing regions in multiple years. In total, eight wild visitor groups were shared across all three crops. The network was dominated by three pollinators, two bees (Apis mellifera and Tetragonula spp.) and a fly, Stomorhina discolor. The visitation network for the three crops was relatively generalised but with the addition of pollen deposition data, specialisation increased. Sixteen managed and wild taxa were consistently present across three years in avocado, yet their contribution to annual network structure varied. Node specialisation (d’) analyses indicated many individual orchard sites across each of the networks were significantly more specialised compared to that predicted by null models, suggesting the presence of site-specific factors driving these patterns. Identifying the taxa shared across multiple crops, regions and years will facilitate the development of specific pollinator management strategies to optimize crop pollination services in horticultural systems.

The survey of insect flower visitors to crops dependent on their pollination is an essential component in determining their effectiveness as pollinators. In most cases, different survey techniques are required for different crops because of variation in planting design, floral density, spatial distribution of flowers or where additional factors such as the variation in plant vigour are being explored. Here we provide survey techniques that have been, or are currently being employed to survey flower visitors across different crops in New Zealand and Australia. Future studies may consider the use of similar designs that will allow for increased standardisation within and between locations and studies. This will provide opportunities for improved direct comparisons between studies, and the ability to combine data sets to address broader spatial-scale questions regarding insect pollination.

The eastern migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) population in North America hit record low numbers during the 2013-2014 overwintering season, prompting pleas by scientists and conservation groups to plant the butterfly's milkweed host plants (Asclepias spp.) in residential areas. While planting butterfly gardens with host plants seems like an intuitive action, no previous study has directly compared larval survival in gardens and natural areas to demonstrate that gardens are suitable habitats for Lepidoptera. In this study, milkweed was planted in residential gardens and natural areas. In 2009 and 2010, plants were monitored for oviposition by monarch butterflies and survival of monarch eggs and caterpillars. Monarchs oviposited significantly more frequently in gardens than in natural sites, with 2.0 and 6.2 times more eggs per plant per observation in 2009 and 2010, respectively. There were no significant differences in overall subadult survival between gardens and natural areas. Significant differences in survival were measured for egg and larval cohorts when analyzed separately, but these were not consistent between years. These results suggest that planting gardens with suitable larval host plants can be an effective tool for restoring habitat for monarch butterflies. If planted over a large area, garden plantings may be useful as a partial mitigation for dramatic loss of monarch habitat in agricultural settings.