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Success artificial pollination with viable pollen is crucial process in the production chain of date palms. This study evaluated the impact of pollen storage temperature and duration, pollination time following spathe cracking, and the hour of daytime on pollen viability, germinability, fruit set and yield of 'Deglet Nour' date palm cultivar. In in vitro tests, fresh pollen showed the maximum viability (96.3%) and germination (85%) but it decreased thereafter upon the storage temperature (28, 4 and −30 °C) and duration (3, 6, 9 and 12 months). In this respect, pollen stored at −30 °C retained highest viability and germinability followed by those stored at 4 and then at 28 °C. In filed experiments, fruit set was 85, 75, 65, and 45% with pollination using fresh pollen, or pollen stored at −30, 4 and 28 °C, respectively. Fruit set was 95%, 75%, and less than 50%, for pollination performed on the same day of spathe cracking, 6 and 12 days later, respectively. The highest fruit set percentage and yield/bunch were obtained with pollination performed between 12.0 pm and 15.0 pm in contrast to 8.0–11.0 am or 16.0–17.0.

Prediction of pollination stages in oil palm plantations is an important research area in precision agriculture. Oil palm is known as the most efficient commercial crop with the capacity to fulfill the growing global demand for vegetable oil consumption. However, oil palm production dependence on pollination is experiencing issues with decreasing the actual yield. Consequently, alternative methods in commercial plantations such as human-assisted pollination and recently Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) have been deployed despite their high economic costs due to labor requirements. Oil palm assisted pollination requires precision, inspection, traceability, and validation processes in the field. Currently, all these processes are performed by humans that can be associated with false assumptions, uncertainty, and pollination latency. Therefore, Machine Learning (ML) approaches as a subset of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain provides efficient, cost-effective, and non-destructive solutions to determine these reproductive stages for future autonomous pollination system. Our goal was to reduce the variability of worker's performance in oil palms, using ML algorithms to make expert decisions and reduce the risk related to a transient workforce. This comparative empirical study examined and compared the performance of the Random Forest (RF) against k Nearest Neighbor (kNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for classification of oil palm pre-anthesis and anthesis stages, dividing into four classes (1, 2, 3, and 4). These models were tested using thermal features (endogenous) individually and in combination with meteorological variables (exogenous). The performance of models is evaluated with specific measures of performance, such as overall user's and producer's accuracies and F-measure values derived from the confusion matrix. The results showed that the RF model produced better results with regard to average F-measure (88.6%, 71.83%), producer's accuracies (88.70%, 71.35%), and user's accuracies (88.27%, 72.36%) on test sets using exogenous + exogenous and endogenous feature sets, respectively. Among the three classifiers tested with two datasets, the RF method outperforms the other two popular algorithms, i.e., kNN and SVM with respect to accuracy and F-measure metrics. The results validated the significance of thermal parameters, provided valuable features to devise an intelligent pollination management system, and proved the feasibility of using the RF model for the classification of oil palms four stages of anthesis.

Mixed pollination systems have been reported for many angiosperms. Here, we report on a dioecious willow, Salix caprea L., which employs three pollination modes, namely pollination by wind, nocturnal moths, and diurnal bees. In four field populations of S. caprea in Germany, we addressed the following questions: (a) How are the pollination modes affected by local mate availability? (b) What is the contribution of each pollination mode to seed set? (c) How does flower opening time affect pollination? We compared seed set among seven pollination treatments (wind pollination, diurnal pollination, nocturnal pollination, natural pollination, apomictic reproduction, daytime/night-time artificial pollination). Pollen limitation was observed across populations. On the other hand, limitations in mate availability affected the pollination modes differently. Insect pollination outperformed wind pollination in situations where nearby males were few or all positioned in the same direction from the females. The contribution of nocturnal moths was lower than that of the other pollen vectors. However, moth pollination worked complementarily with bee pollination in compensating for the lack of wind pollination. Furthermore, we found that the onset of flower anthesis peaked at sunset, and that cold night temperatures had no negative effect on seed set or pollen viability. Thus, nocturnal anthesis and prior pollination by moths may minimize male fitness loss due to pollen collection and grooming by bees. We suggest that S. caprea maximizes its fitness by combining multiple pollination modes that work in different environmental conditions, while optimizing the anthesis so that more pollen would be delivered to stigmas.

Pollination is an essential process for plants to carry on their generation. Pollination is carried out in various ways depending on the type of plant species. Among them, pollination by insect pollinator accounts for the most common. However, these pollinators have be decreasing in population density due to environmental factors. Therefore, use of artificial pollination is increasing. However, there is a lack of information on microorganisms present in the artificial pollens. We showed the composition of bacteria structure present in the artificial pollens of apple, kiwifruit, peach and pear, and contamination of high-risk pathogens was investigated. Acidovorax spp., Pantoea spp., Erwinia spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Xanthomonas spp., which are classified as potential high-risk pathogens, have been identified in imported pollens. This study presented the pollen-associated bacterial community structure, and the results are expected to be foundation for strengthening biosecurity in orchard industry.

Rhizanthes is a holoparasitic plant of the Rafflesiaceae, and, just like Rafflesia, its host is Tetrastigma (Vitaceae). Unlike Rafflesia, very little research has been conducted on Rhizanthes other than a few studies focusing on its taxonomy and anatomy, and limited studies on its propagation, despite some ethnomedicinal uses in several regions of Indonesia. Wild populations of Rhizanthes are declining due to deforestation and overharvesting by locals. Artificial pollination and possible seed spread, which are similar to Rafflesia, may be useful for future propagation-based studies, which are generally very difficult and challenging for members of the Rafflesiaceae. This paper emphasizes the cultural and ethnomedicinal importance of Rhizanthes and seeks to define a conservation road-map that incorporates a scientifically-based approach to research while also seeking a four-pronged approach to the conservation of Rhizanthes: 1) conventional and biotechnology-based conservation; 2) germplasm multiplication and preservation; 3) reintroduction into the wild and conservation of wild populations; 4) policy-based protective measures.

Plants pollination are conducted through various pollinators such as wind, animals, and insects. Recently, the necessity for artificial pollination is drawing attention as the proportion of natural pollinators involved is decreasing over the years. Likewise, the trade in pollen for artificial pollination is also increasing worldwide. Through these imported pollens, many unknown microorganisms can flow from foreign countries. Among them, spores of various fungi present in the particles of pollen can be dispersed throughout the orchard. Therefore, in this study, the composition of fungal communities in imported pollen was revealed, and potential ecological characteristics of the fungi were investigated in four types of imported pollen. Top 10 operational taxonomic unit (OTU) of fungi were ranked among the following groups: Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., and Didymella glomerata which belong to many pathogenic species. Through FUNGuild analysis, the proportion of OTUs, which is assumed to be potentially plant pathogens, was higher than 50%, except for apple pollen in 2018. Based on this study of fungal structure, this information can suggest the direction of the pollen quarantine process and contribute to fungal biology in pollen

Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa has been used as a windbreak and for soil conservation and water retention. Previous studies focused on pharmacological effects and extraction of chemical components in this species, and very few explored the breeding system. The present study combined the analysis of floral morphology, behavior of flower visitors, and artificial pollination to reveal reproductive characteristics of the species. Its flowers are characterized by dichogamy, herkogamy, and stamen movement, which are evolutionary adaptations to its breeding system. There were more than 40 species of visiting insects, mainly Hymenoptera and Diptera, and the characteristics of dichogamous and herkogamous flower adapted to the visiting insects. The breeding system is outcrossing, partially self-compatible, and demand for pollinators. The fruit setting rate after natural pollination was 2%. Geitonogamy and xenogamy did not significantly increase the fruit setting rate, indicating that the low fruit setting rate was not due to pollen limitation by likely caused by resource limitation or fruit consumption. The fruit setting rate of zero in emasculated and in naturally and hand self-pollinated individuals suggested the absence of apomixis and spontaneous self-pollination. The above results can be utilized in studies on evolution and cultivation of Z. jujuba var. spinosa.

A macieira, em geral, apresenta autoincompatibilidade gametofítica, e por isso, faz-se necessário eleger genótipos polinizadores eficientes para cada cultivar copa. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar genótipos polinizadores para as macieiras SCS425 Luiza e SCS427 Elenise a partir da genotipagem dos alelos S, via marcadores de DNA, associada à realização de cruzamentos teste a campo. Nos ciclos de 2014/15 e 2017/18, as polinizações a campo foram conduzidas em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, constituídas por 25 inflorescências de duas flores cada. Foram utilizados conjuntos de primers específicos para identificação de 16 alelos S, via PCR. Todos os genótipos testados podem ser indicados como possíveis polinizadores, respectivamente, para a ‘SCS425 Luiza’ (S5S9): a 135/114 (S3S19), a 135/140 (S3S?), a SCS433 Felix 3 (S3S26) - compatíveis; e a SCS431 Felix 1 (S4S5) e a SCS426 Venice (S3S9) - semicompatíveis; e para a ‘SCS427 Elenise’ (S3S23): a SCS431 Felix 1 (S4S5), e a SCS436 Felix 6 (S5S?) - compatíveis; e SCS433 Felix 3 (S3S26) e SCS435 Felix 5 (S3S4) - semicompatíveis.

Pollination services are critical for food production. Although domesticated honey bees are important pollinators in agriculture, there is growing interest in supporting naturally occurring wild bees. Diversifying pollination management strategies by encouraging healthy wild bee communities may be especially useful for growers of insect-pollinated crops, such as apples. Although research has identified several land management practices that can enhance local pollinator communities on farms, there are few studies on the factors that influence growers to adopt pollinator-supporting actions on their land. Here, we surveyed 75 Canadian apple growers and used regression models to explore the influence of farm characteristics and perceptions about bees on the likelihood of adopting 15 unique pollinator-supporting practices. We also provide a descriptive analysis of growers' pollination management practices and self-assessed resourcefulness on the ability to improve habitat for wild pollinators on the farm. We found that an increase in three variables: awareness of wild bees, perception of the severity of threats facing wild populations, and the perception of the benefits provided by wild bees is associated with more pollinator-supporting practices on the farm. Overall, growers were less likely to adopt pollinator-friendly practices as the fraction of rented land increased and as the perceived costs of implementing these practices rose. We found ‘low-hanging fruit’ (i.e., pollinator-supporting practices that could be easily and inexpensively implemented) were adopted by less than one-third of growers and that the majority of those surveyed had little to no knowledge on what actions to take if they wanted to improve their farms for wild bees or where to go for that knowledge. Our results suggest that policies and programs that focus on raising grower awareness of wild bees, increasing grower perception of their benefits, and reducing the perceived costs of implementing pollinator-supporting practices may positively affect their uptake. A deeper understanding of grower perceptions will provide essential insight into how growers may contribute to wild pollinator conservation while potentially increasing agricultural production and reducing vulnerability borne of heavy reliance on managed pollinators.

This study investigated how the ploidy level of the kiwifruit pollinizer cultivars “CK3” (diploid), “T line” (tetraploid), “Pohwa” (hexaploid) and “Chieftain” (hexaploid) affected fruit set, fruit quality, and seed formation in the tetraploid kiwifruit cultivars “Halla Gold” and “Sweet Gold” cultivated in an unheated greenhouse in Jeju, Korea. Pollen tubes growing in the pistil reached and combined with the ovule 3 days after artificial pollination, and their patterns differed depending on the ploidy level of the pollen parent. The number of pollen tubes observed in “Halla Gold” and “Sweet Gold” pistils was significantly lower following pollination by “CK3” than with the other pollen donors. In all pollen treatments, the fruit set rates were > 90%. The fruit weight of both “Halla Gold” and “Sweet Gold” were high following pollination with “Chieftain” and “Pohwa”. The dry matter content, soluble solids, and acidity were not significantly different among all pollination treatments. Fruit firmness was higher following pollination with “Chieftain” and “Powha.” Colorimeter h˚ values for flesh of “Halla Gold” was low following pollination with “CK3,” but there were no differences for “Sweet Gold” among all pollinations. The number of seeds showed a similar trend to fruit weight, but the 100-seed weight was highest with “T line” as the pollinizer. The results indicate that the ploidy level of the pollen donor affects fruit quality more than fruit set. Also, the pollen most suitable for cultivation of “Halla Gold” and “Sweet Gold” is considered to be tetraploid “T line” and hexaploid “Pohwa” and “Chieftain,” which showed favorable effects on the weight and firmness of fruits, and the number and weight of seeds without adversely influencing fruit set and dry matter content.

and C. ochroleuca commonly grown as vegetables have been extensively studied. However, information on breeding techniques is scanty. This study aimed to develop an artificial interspecific pollinat...

In commercial date palm cultivation, artificial pollination is an expensive necessary agronomic practice. For effective pollination, timely availability of pollen is a requisite; however, in time of pollen scarcity and/or in need of higher amount of pollen for mechanical pollination, dilution of pollen with adjuvant is an effective approach. We tested efficiency of pollination by mixing pollen with different low cost and easily available adjuvants, viz. Maida flour, wheat flour, talcum powder, bajra flour, ash and marble dust in 1:9 and 1:19 ratio, over control (no adjuvant) and evaluate their efficacy in sustaining the fruit set and yield. Our results suggest that all of the experimented adjuvants can be diluted up to 1:9 ratio; however, talcum powder can be diluted up to 1:19 without reducing fruit yield.

Exclusion netting systems are effective in various contexts and are increasingly used to control crop pests. However, factors affecting pollination management under nets are poorly known. The pollination effectiveness of commercial bumble bee hives ofBombus impatiensCresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was studied for apple production under exclusion netting systems in a research orchard located in Quebec, Canada during 2016–2017. Sixteen single-row plots of apple trees (plot length: 18.5 m, cultivar GingerGold) were subjected to one of the following four treatments during bloom: (1) introduction of a bumble bee hive placed at the end of the row, under nets; (2) introduction of a bumble bee hive placed in the middle of the row, under nets; (3) negative control with no pollinators, under nets and (4) agronomic control with nearby bee hives (

Mason bees (Osmia spp.) are receiving increasing attention as they are very effective pollinators of multiple crops. However, different bee‐associated kleptoparasites are known which can be detrimental to the development of the bees’ offspring. To date, clear evidence‐based guidelines to control these kleptoparasites are lacking for growers. This study investigates whether different types of artificial nesting materials—cardboard tubes and wooden grooved boards—influence the development of the European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta) as well as the infestation rate of kleptoparasitic mites in the bees’ nest. This preliminary study provides insight that cardboard tubes reduce the infestation rate of mites by 81.8% and as such promote successful development of the European orchard bee by 15.5%. Using cardboard tubes over wooden grooved boards should be advised to growers as an effective management strategy to avoid infestation of kleptoparasitic mites and to enhance successful bee development.

Siirt fıstığı, antepfıstığı meyvesinin yöreye has bir çeşididir. Yöredeki birçok ailenin geçim kaynağı olan bu meyvenin üretim faaliyetlerinin nasıl yürütüldüğü büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma, Siirt ilinde bulunan antepfıstığı üreticilerinin sahadaki üretim davranışlarını araştırmak amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Çiftçi Kayıt Sisteminde (ÇKS) kayıtlı olan fıstık üreticisi sayısı baz alınarak 99 üretici ile anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Üreticilerin eğitim durumu, sahip oldukları arazi varlığı, aile nüfusu, borçlanma durumları, toprak işleme teknikleri, toprak verimliliği durumu, sulama durumu, yetiştiriciliği yapılan çeşitler ve bahçelerde kullanılan tozlayıcı çeşitler gibi fıstık yetiştiriciliğinde uygulanan tüm işlemlerin nasıl yapıldığı ile ilgili temel sorular sorularak üreticilerin geleneksel hale gelmiş mevcut üretim alışkanlıkları tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmamıza katılan üreticilerin, %30.3’ünün 30-39 yaş aralığında olduğu, %26.26’sının lise mezunu olduğu, %61.62 oranında ailede tarım dışında çalışanların olduğu, ortalama %24.4 dekar (da) alanda sulu tarım yapıldığı, ortalama ağaç yaşının 8.02 olduğu, ortalama %39.05 dekar (da) alanda kuru tarım yapıldığı belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca üreticilerin %61.6’sının borcunun olduğu, %75.5’inin toprak analizi yaptırmadığı, %63.3 oranında arazi verimliliğinin normal olduğu, üreticilerin %37.8’inin tozlayıcı çeşit kullanmadığı ve yine üreticilerin %73.7’sinin yapay tozlama uygulaması yapmadığı belirlenmiştir.

The current threat of myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) to New Zealand Myrtaceae, including a number of indigenous and socio-economically important species, requires that ex situ conservation is ...

The intensive target work for apple assortment improvement is being carried out at the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK). A large interdisciplinary team of researchers takes part in creating cultivars. Promising areas of apple breeding for our institution are: 1. The development of triploid apple cultivars having more regular fruiting, high marketability of fruits and higher autogamy. 2. The development of cultivars immune and highly resistant to scab. 3. The development of triploid cultivars with immunity to scab. 4. Т he development of columnar cultivars for intensive and super intensive orchards. 5. Т he development of apple cultivars with improved biochemical composition of fruits. For the entire period of selection work, artificial pollination in the amount of 5.2 million flowers was carried out, 912 thousand annual apple seedlings were grown, 249 elite seedlings were produced and 54 apple cultivars were created and included in the State Register of breeding achievements admitted for use (zoned). Brief economical and biological descriptions of them are given in this paper. The best diploid apple cultivars Veteran, Orlik, Orlovskoye Polosatoye and Pamyt Voinu as well as triploid cultivars Avgusta, Ministr Kisilev, Orlovsky Partizan, Osipovskoye and Sinap Orlovsky adapted to local conditions are already widely known and introduced into production. Triploid cultivars having immunity to scab Vavilovskoye, Maslovskoye, Rozhdestvenskoye and Yablochny Spas as well as columnar cultivars Vostorg, Girlyanda, Orlovskaya Yesenia, Poezia and Priokskoye are of special interest. The cultivars with improved biochemical composition of fruits are of great interest. The widespread introduction of new promising apple cultivars of the Institute's breeding into industrial plantings will undoubtedly contribute to import substitution of fruit products in Russia.

The breeders are faced with the task of the fastest breeding of sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L) varieties, which will be able to fill a niche among the insurance stone fruit crops, complementing the existing assortment. It is practically impossible to speed up this process without the use of in vitro culture. In this regard, the purpose of the present study was to identify the most favorable timing for isolating embryos of sour cherry varieties and hybrids with sweet cherry for embryos active development and growth in vitro. Analysis of the literature data and the results obtained in this study allows a conclusion that the timing of embryos isolation for their introduction into in vitro culture plays a very important role for the entire breeding process. Due to the discrepancy in defining the timing, a certain starting point is proposed, which is the date of fertilization (artificial pollination), or mass flowering in the case of free pollination. The parameters (height and width) of sour cherry seeds, which depend on the period of pollination, are given. Together with the cotyledons, the embryos of sour cherry varieties on the 14th day of their development correspond to sizes from 1.2 × 0.4 mm to 1.6 × 1.0 mm and, in the case of normal fertilization, increase in size from 6 .5 × 5.1 mm to 7.2 × 6.3 mm by day 28-30, on an average. At the same time, the seed with the embryo of hybrid sour cherry varieties (dukes) reaches higher values, e.g., 11.3 × 8.1 mm. When introducing cherry embryos into culture, one should focus on their size, as well as on the period that has passed from pollination. It was found that the periods of isolation, both early on day 14-19 and late on day 44-52, negatively affect the development of embryos: they stop their development, and the number of the obtained seedlings decreases. It has been experimentally proven that the most optimal timing of fruit picking for growing cherry hybrids in vitro is the period from day 28 to 32 after pollination of flowers: active development was observed in them on days 10-15 in test tubes, and most of them (83-85%) began to germinate 40 days later (on day 39-47 after the introduction into in vitro culture). In general, this leads to the efficient hybridization and accelerated obtaining of seedlings in the same year.

In this paper, it was introduced that Coix lacryma-jobi is a traditional dual-use edible and medicine crops in China, and the nutritional components and medicinal value of Coix lacryma-jobi were described. Based on the published literature at home and abroad, a variety of chemical components found in Coix lacryma jobi and their medicinal effects were reviewed. At the same time, the problems existing in the production of Coix lacryma jobi were put forward. With the improvement of people’s living standards, the nutritional and health care value of Coix lacryma-jobi has been paid more and more attention. The problems of Coix lacryma-jobi in production were analyzed. Some biological characteristics of Coix lacryma-jobi, especially its hygrophyte characteristics, were re-recognized, which is very important to increase the yield of Coix lacryma jobi. In the paper, the key cultivation techniques for high and stable yield of Coix lacryma-jobi were also summarized. In order to obtain high quality, high and stable yield, we should adopt the new technical methods of “two wet, two dry and two water” in water management. At the same time, if artificial pollination is applied in the peak of flowering period, the seed setting rate and the yield will be increased.

Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult., popularly known as desert rose, has become a valuable ornamental plant. In floriculture, the production of hybrids is prioritized. Hence, knowledge on floral biology and sexual reproduction of the target species is fundamental. The objectives of this study were: (1) to test sucrose concentrations and temperatures for in vitro germination of A. obesum pollen grains; (2) to identify the effect of temperature on the viability of A. obesum pollen grains; and (3) to evaluate the viability of pollen grains and stigma receptivity in pre-anthesis, at flower opening, and 72 h post-flower opening in three accessions of A. obesum. A significant relationship between temperatures and sucrose concentrations was observed in the in vitro germination test. The highest percentage of in vitro germination of pollen grains, 39.81%, was observed at an estimated temperature of 26.05 °C. Desert rose accessions maintained in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) chambers at 30 °C during a 16-h light photoperiod showed faster flowering, and temperatures ≥ 25 °C induced pollen grain viability percentages above 69%. Temperature is one of the most important abiotic factors, influencing mainly in pollen germination, pollen tube growing and in efficiency fertilization. The ICA-wd accession stood out and can be considered a pollen donor in artificial pollination. The stigmas of flowers were receptive from a day before flower opening until three days after. The two parameters presented above, stigma receptivity and pollen viability, allow inferences about the appropriate time for successful pollination and subsequent fertilization in desert roses. Resumo Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult, conhecida popularmente como rosa-do-deserto, tem se tornado uma opção valiosa para o setor de plantas ornamentais. Na floricultura, a produção de híbridos é priorizada, para isso, o conhecimento da biologia floral e da reprodução sexuada da espécie é fundamental. Objetivou-se com o presente estudo: (1) testar concentrações de sacarose e temperaturas na germinação in vitro de grãos de pólen de Adenium obesum; (2) identificar o efeito da temperatura na viabilidade de grãos de pólen de Adenium obesum e; (3) avaliar a viabilidade dos grãos de pólen e receptividade estigmática pré-antese, abertura floral e 72 horas pós-abertura floral em três acessos de Adenium obesum. Interação significativa entre temperaturas e concentrações de sacarose foi observada no teste de germinação in vitro. A maior porcentagem de germinação in vitro dos grãos de pólen, 39,81% foi observada na temperatura estimada de 26,05 °C. Os acessos de rosa-do-deserto mantidos em B.O.D. sob temperatura de 30 °C e fotoperíodo de 16 horas de luz apresentaram florescimento mais rápido e as temperaturas ≥ 25 °C indicaram porcentagens de viabilidade dos grãos de pólen acima de 69%. A temperatura é um dos fatores abióticos mais importantes, influencia a germinação dos grãos de pólen, crescimento do tubo polínico e pode afetar a fertilização. O acesso ICA-bd destacou-se e pode ser considerado como doador de pólen em polinizações artificiais. O estigma das flores encontrou-se receptivo desde um dia antes da abertura das flores até três dias após a flor abrir. Os dois parâmetros apresentados acima, receptividade estigmática e viabilidade polínica, permitem fazer inferências importantes sobre os momentos mais apropriados para a polinização e subsequente fertilização na rosa-do-deserto.

This study analyzed the impact of adoption of artificial pollination on productivity, income, poverty and food security among cocoa farmers in Ghana. Primary data was collected from 206 cocoa farmers drawn through a multi-stage sampling technique and analyzed using Propensity Score Matching. The study revealed that households who adopted artificial pollination had improvements in their productivity, income, poverty situation, and food security. It was also revealed that adopters increased their productivity by close to 15.34% on average, earned between GH₵ 2756.84 to GH₵ 11074.38 more on average in terms of income, reduced their poverty by an average of between 0.83% and 3.53%, and finally, improved their food security by approximately 3% compared to non-adopters. Leveraging on the positive impact of adoption of artificial pollination, policymakers should take steps in implementing artificial pollination to help increase the yield of Ghana’s cocoa.

Greenhouses are designed to regulate internal climate conditions and protect plants from pests and from outside contamination. These enclosed structures extend the growing season and maximize crop health. The tradeoff for these benefits is the exclusion of natural pollinators. Artificial pollination products have been implemented to compensate for this problem, but common drawbacks include both high costs and a laborious application of the product. Alternatively, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pollinator presented in this paper has been designed for semi-automatic operation for artificial pollination in greenhouses, which overcomes the above drawbacks. This is done by having the UAV fly a pre-planned coverage route, which is generated from dimensions given by an operator. Over the route, the UAV will deploy its payload: a pollen dispenser controlled by its onboard computer. The UAV has been implemented and tested to validate its efficacy, which proved that the design is both cost-effective and adaptable for different greenhouse structures.

Wild bees supply sufficient pollination in Cucurbita agroecosystems in certain settings; however, some growers continue to stock fields with managed pollinators due to uncertainties of temporal and spatial variation on pollination services supplied by wild bees. Here, we evaluate wild bee pollination activity in wholesale, commercial pumpkin fields over 3 yr. We identified 37 species of bees foraging in commercial pumpkin fields. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), squash bees (Eucera (Peponapis) Say, Dorchin [Hymenoptera: Apidae]), and bumble bees (Bombus spp., primarily B. impatiens Cresson [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) were the most active pollinator taxa, responsible for over 95% of all pollination visits. Preference for female flowers decreased as distance from field edge increased for several bee taxa. Visitation rates from one key pollinator was negatively affected by field size. Visitation rates for multiple taxa exhibited a curvilinear response as the growing season progressed and responded positively to increasing floral density. We synthesized existing literature to estimate minimum ‘pollination thresholds’ per taxa and determined that each of the most active pollinator taxa exceeded these thresholds independently. Under current conditions, renting honey bee hives may be superfluous in this system. These results can aid growers when executing pollination management strategies and further highlights the importance of monitoring and conserving wild pollinator populations.

Artificial pollination management strategies are a potential solution to improving the livelihoods of smallholder cacao farmers by increasing crop productivity in situations when pollination services are limiting. However, field-based research trials evaluating the yield benefits of artificial pollination management strategies within intensified cacao systems are lacking. Thus, in an intensively managed cacao system, we evaluated the effects of artificial pollination condition (i.e., pollen genotype, pollination intensity, and pollination synchrony) on fruit development and yield in three high-yielding cacao clones. Artificial pollination, regardless of intensity, significantly increased fruit set and yield. Pollination synchrony had a significant effect on cherelle survivorship; older cherelles had greater survival rates across all developmental stages than younger cherelles. Yield differed between genotype crosses and varied according to the pollen donor used, highlighting the importance of understanding self- and cross-compatibility when selecting clones for cultivation. Pollination intensity had no significant effect on harvested yield, indicating that more rigorous research is needed to identify the pollination intensity required for optimized yield under artificial pollination conditions. We conclude that strategies to enhance flowering, pollination rates, and pollination synchrony while ensuring adequate tree nutrition may increase productivity in cacao. Future research evaluating numerous cacao clones across multiple years and locations may help us to understand the region-specific effects of intensive management strategies on the long-term sustainability of enhancing cacao tree productivity.

The barrier to pollination and pollinator assemblage were investigated in Knema attenuata, a dioecious tree species endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It occupies an intermediate canopy stratum of the low and mid-elevation wet evergreen forests. In order to observe floral display, insect foraging and fruit development, four populations of K. attenuata were selected. The population diagram of each population was constructed by marking one female tree as the centre and male trees available at different radii from the female tree. Direct observations and swap net trapping were used to sample insects in the canopy during the flowering season of 2016 and 2017. Knema attenuata exhibited generalised pollination through diverse insects: thysanopterans (thrips), coleopterans (beetles), halictid bees, and dipterans (syrphid and phorid flies), where thrips played the major role. On analysing the floral display, it was found that the male flowers provided no rewards and thus attracted less pollinators than the female flowers. Among the four populations studied, three showed more than 70% fruit setting and the rate of abscission in flowers and young fruits were negligible. One population was without fruit setting and trials on artificial pollination resulted in fruit setting. A very low frequency of seed germination was observed in natural conditions which was enhanced by a seed germinator.

Camellia pubipetala is an endemic and endangered species with small and isolated populations occurring only in karst regions in Guangxi of south China. To understand the reproductive biology of C. pubipetala and its possible influences upon its endangered status, its breeding system and pollination ecology were studied in the Longhushan (LHS) and Longzhao (LZ) populations of this species. The flowering duration of the C. pubipetala populations spanned from late January to early April and anthesis of a single flower usually lasted 5–7 days. This species is homogamous, and the pollen and stigma are viable throughout anthesis. Each bagged flower could secrete 141.5 μL of nectar at a sugar concentration of 25.0% during anthesis. The observed high pollen/ovule ratio, and the results of hand‐pollination experiments indicated that this species obligately outcrosses. Open pollination resulted in a significantly decreased fruit set (6.7%) and seed set (38.9%) compared to supplementary pollination treatment (23.3% and 64.7%, respectively), which is indicative of a pollen limitation in the process of pollination. The primary pollinator of C. pubipetala is the sunbird Aethopyga christinae and its visiting frequency is quite low, whereas the honeybee Apis cerana is only an occasional pollinator in wild populations. Low reproductive rates in C. pubipetala were found to be a consequence of few species of pollinators and their low visiting frequency. Pollen limitation may be a crucial factor that contributes to the endangered nature of this species. Artificial pollination and the release of pollinators are effective ways to increase the fruit and seed yield of this species.

Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius are important herbs with similar benefits and medicinal properties. Both possess ginsenosides, the pharmacologically active components, abundantly in their roots. In an attempt to establish ginseng cultivars with improved agronomical characters and higher ginsenoside content, reciprocal interspecific hybrids were generated by artificial pollination of emasculated flowers. Three elite cultivars of P. ginseng, types Jakyung, Chungkyung, and Hwangsook, and two new lines, 0837 and 0702, were used to assess interspecific hybrid potential. Among F1 reciprocal hybrids generated using line 0837 as either the maternal or paternal parent showed excellent agronomical traits and hybrid vigor. They showed strong root phenotypes with many lateral and fine roots resulting in 10 to 20% higher ginsenoside content compared to the parental lines. Among the major ginsenosides, pharmacologically active Re, Rb1, Rb2, and F1 were enriched. They accounted for 70% of the protopanaxadiol ginsenosides in 0837/Pq and Pq/0837 crosses, displaying strong maternal dominance. Thus, based on our results, we conclude that P. ginseng line 0837 is superior compared to already existing lines for performing interspecific hybridization with promising outcomes in root quality and ginsenoside content.

We focus on various countries’ approaches to pollination in order to boost agricultural output. We looked at the state of both natural and artificial pollination, and their correlation. We discovered that, for the covered countries, there is a certain path most of these countries are following as the ratio of natural and artificial pollination changes over time due to numerous factors such as deforestation, climate change, and heavy use of pesticides. Based on the analysis and best practices of several countries, we recommend to take necessary steps in order to ensure further development of agriculture in Uzbekistan by introducing modern methods of pollination.

The exogenous application of GA3 to atemoya tree flowers induces parthenocarpy, and in association with artificial pollination, it increases the fruit size. Morphological, anatomical, ultrastructural, and chemical aspects were evaluated during development of (1) fruit produced by artificial pollination (AP), (2) fruit from AP followed by the application of 250 ppm GA3, and (3) parthenocarpic fruit induced by the application of 1000 ppm GA3. Fruit growth showed a sigmoidal pattern, with development occurring in three phases: (I) cell division, (II) cell differentiation, and (III) maturation. Phase I presented cells with large nuclear volumes and a large population of organelles, phase II presented cells with a reduction in cytoplasm and an increase in vacuole volume, and phase III presented cells with an increase in plastids with reserve compounds. The application of GA3, in association with pollination, precedes cytological events and delays when applied exclusively. GA3 promotes the growth of pollinated fruits by stimulating cell division and expansion, which occur in association with reduced seed production, and the GA3 induces parthenocarpy by maintaining division and stimulating cell expansion. The absence of seeds accounts for the smaller size of the parthenocarpic fruits, and the lower accumulation of calcium accounts for less firm fruit.

Wild bees are important pollinators for agricultural crops and solitary species such as Osmia bicornis are particularly suitable for pollination management. Wild bees share floral resources with managed honey bees and may be exposed to emerging infectious diseases. Although studies have explored the prevalence of pathogens in solitary wild bee species, data regarding the impact of pathogens on solitary bee health are lacking. We carried out experiments examining whether the solitary bee species O. bicornis is susceptible to infection with the emerging pathogen The results obtained indicate that N. ceranae may be able to infect O. bicornis but its impact on host fitness is negligible: survival rates did not differ between Control and inoculated bees, although male survival was marginally lower after infection. To explore the possible field-relevance of our findings, we collected wild bees near an infected and a non-infected hive and showed that N. ceranae was shared between managed and wild bees, although only the in presence of infected honey bees. The findings of the present study show that O. bicornis is susceptible to pathogen spillover and could act as a potential reservoir host for N. ceranae in pollinator networks. Additional studies on this species incorporating sublethal effects, multiple infections and other interacting stressors are warranted.

Investigation on different mating systems is necessary to improve fruit and seed production and seed quality in Jatropha curcas. In the present study, a total of 150 female flowers belonging to five accessions from Indonesia and Malaysia were screened for traits associated with fruit set and seed quality under open- and self-pollination. The study was conducted at Biodiesel Research Station, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Pilah from April to September 2015. The number of fruits per plant (NFP), number of seeds per plant (NSP) and number of seeds germinated (NSG) showed significant differences among the mating systems. Under open-pollination, the maximum mean values for NFP, NSP, NSG and number of seedlings surviving after three months (NSS) were 10, 29, 27 and 18, respectively. Conversely, self-pollination scored at 9, 26, 22 and 18 for NFP, NSP, NSG and NSS, respectively. Seed weight (SWt) showed significant differences among accessions whereas seed length (SLT) showed significant differences among the mating systems and accessions. UKMJC20 (Indonesia) showed the best performance in terms of NFP under both open- and self-pollination whereas UKMJC21 (Malaysia) showed the best performance in terms of SWt and SLT under both conditions. Two (UKMJC13 and UKMJC21) out of five accessions showed occurrence of apomixis.

This study investigates the fertility typology for seven Tall coconut accessions using artificial pollination characters. Ten traits describing fertility were considered for characterizing three groups of coconut individuals per accession. Ten males parental, twenty to forty female parental, and ten progenies were randomly explored per coconut accession. Except for the rate of seeds germination, the outcomes revealed the usefulness of the characters assessed for the discrimination of the accessions studied. The typology of the fertility of the accessions studied is independent of the origins and highlighted two main groups. The first group gathers Laccadive Common Tall (LCT) and West African Tall (WAT and WAT6) accessions including the most fertile male parents and the females showing great production of seed nuts. From this group, the progenies set out a lack of vigour. The second group is constituted of Panama Tall (PNT01 and PNT02), Solomon Island Tall (SIT) and Gazelle Peninsula Tall (GPT) accessions with characters opposite to the previous ones. The investigations of the Tall coconut accessions fertility are fundamental to address the low size of genitors and progenies for respective field genebank regeneration and representative field replanting.

The Thousand-Island Lake region, a highly fragmented landscape in Zhejiang Province, China, was selected as a natural laboratory to examine how the reproductive success of a Pistacia chinensis (Ana...

Attainment of high seed yield in hybrid rice seed production is a function of the amount of pollen that the male parent can shed during pollination. Low pollen load of the male parent (TG101M) of hybrid rice, Mestiso 19 leads to low seed yield which limits the number of hybrid rice seed growers engaged in its hybrid seed production. Artificial pollination, through collection and storage of sufficient amount of pollen may provide a solution to the problem. Additional pollen artificially loaded onto stigmas of female parent of Mestiso 19 (PRUPTG101) may increase seed yield. The study was conducted during wet and dry season of year 2016 and 2017 at Phil Rice Central Experiment Station to develop technique in pollen collection and storage of TG101M. Pollens were collected at anthesis, 30 minutes and 1 hour after anthesis, then stored in amber glass, paper and ziplock plastics and stored for 24, 48 and 72 hours in 280C, 50C, -50C. Pollens were grown in three different media for pollen viability and germination and viewed under the microscope for pollen tube growth. Pollen viability and germination was high at anthesis and decreased thereafter. Pollen grains grown in media 2 maintained pollen viability even after 1 hour after anthesis. Pollen germination decreased over time regardless of media used. Pollen tube length was consistently high at anthesis when pollen grains were grown in media 2 and 3 only. The length of pollen tube growth from medium 2 differed between 30 min and 1 hour. Less than 50% viable pollen was achieved after 24 hours of storage. Pollen viability and germination decreased beyond 24 hours. To increase the viability of collected pollen from TG101M for possible artificial pollination, grains must be collected at anthesis and stored immediately in amber glass under cold storage at negative 5°C.

The area cultivated with pollinator-dependent crops is increasing worldwide, while a shortfall in pollinator availability is a growing problem in many agroecosystems. For this reason, many highly pollinator-dependent crops are nowadays pollinated artificially by humans. Here, we compared the efficiency of artificial and bee pollination practices on the mean level and stability of pollination and fruit production of kiwifruit. In a kiwifruit orchard, we tagged a total of 800 flowers from 40 plants, half were pollinated by honeybees while the other half by spraying pollen on flowers, the most commonly pollination technique used in kiwifruit. During harvest, we measured fruit set, number of seeds per fruit, and fruit weight. On average, bee-pollinated plants produced 40% more fruits than artificially-pollinated plants. Also, fruits from bee-pollinated flowers contained, on average, 34% more seeds, showing also 2.8 times less variability in number of seeds per fruit than those pollinated artificially. Following the same trend, bee-pollinated flowers produce fruits that were 34% heavier and 1.5 times less variable in weight. These results showed that bee pollination resulted in higher fruit production, and heavier and more homogeneous fruits than artificial pollination. According to these results, we encourage growers and land managers to use pollination management practices based on honey bees, instead of the use of mechanical pollination systems. Fil: Sáez, Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Negri, Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones En Sanidad Produccion y Ambiente. - Comision de Investigaciones Cientificas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Investigaciones En Sanidad Produccion y Ambiente.; Argentina Fil: Viel, Matias. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina Fil: Aizen, Marcelo Adrian. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentina

Kokum (Garcinia indica) tree is endemic to Western Ghats region of India. Commercially, Kokum fruits are well-known for anti-obesity factor hydroxy citric acid as well as for their UV protecting ac...