STUDIES ON THE POLLINATOR FAUNA OF POMEGRANATE, Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae)
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Date
2020-11-12
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Abstract
This investigation was carried at the Departments of Apiculture and Horticulture, UAS, Bangalore and farmers field Koramangala, Devanahalli during 2019-20. Flower initiation in pomegranate (var: “Bhagwa”) commenced at 21.11± 1.86 days after bud development. Staminate: hermaphrodite flower ratio was 0.40±0.831, with mean of 20.66±6.12 staminate and 27.53±6.95 hermaphrodite flowers. Staminate and hermaphrodite flowers opened during 0800-1300 and 0800-1400 hours, respectively.
Anthers dehisced at 0800-1300 (staminate) and 0900-1200 (hermaphrodite) hours after
anthesis. Fruit set was highest in the plants when flowers were kept in unbagged condition (10.7±2.08) compared to the bagged condition (3.85±1.22). Totally 20 insect species were found foraging on the inflorescence of pomegranate and they belonged to three insect orders viz., Hymenoptera (40%), Lepidoptera (55%) and Hemiptera (5%). Shannon- Wiener diversity index (H) values ranged from 0.05-0.23 during different hours of the day, with peak ‘H’ values during 0900- 1100 hrs (0.54-0.52). Berger-Parker dominance index (d) was highest for A. dorsata (d=0.38). A. dorsata, A. cerana, A. florea and T. iridipennis spent upto 11.24±1.31, 12.61±1.29, 16.86±2.08 and 25.73±1.88 sec/staminate flower and 7.94±0.87, 10.30±0.98, 14.55±1.21and 24.13±1.68 sec/hermaphrodite flower, respectively. All four species of honey bees spent maximum foraging time during 1100- 1200 hrs. A. dorsata (5.95±1.00) A. cerana (5.18±0.68), A. florea (4.39±0.67) and T. iridipennis (4.20±0.82) visited more number of staminate flowers as compared to hermaphrodite flowers (4.81±1.06, 4.12±0.84, 3.55±0.38 and 3.44±0.59) respectively. Significantly highest yield and qualitative parameters were recorded in the fruits obtained from open pollinated flowers, followed by pomegranate plants enclosed with A. cerana colony.
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