Diversity, abundance and pollination efficiency of flower visiting insects of major seed spices crops
Loading...
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
Thirty insect species were recorded in coriander, twenty five in fennel, seventeen in ajowain and sixteen in fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi under agro-ecological conditions of Hisar. Among the visitors, A. mellifera, A. dorsata, A. florea and A. cerana were the most frequent visitors of flowers of different crops except fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi where A. dorsata was not frequent. These pollinators mostly belong to different insect orders, viz., Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and some belong to Odonata and Hemiptera, however, in ajowain crop the most of the visitors/pollinators were dipterans. On coriander cv. DH-246, DH-228 and fennel cv. HF-143, A. florea spent maximum time (4.48, 3.81 and 4.49 sec/umbelet) followed by A. mellifera (2.20, 1.63 and 1.71 sec/umbelet) and A.cerana (1.26, 1.23 and 1.21 sec/umbelet), whereas, the least time per umbelet was recorded in case of A. dorsata (1.23, 1.13 and 1.11 seconds), respectively, and on fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi, A. florea spent maximum time (3.02 sec/flower) followed by A. mellifera (2.09 sec/flower), whereas, the least time per flower was recorded in case of A. cerana (1.47 sec/ flower). On coriander cv. DH-246, DH-228 and fennel cv. HF-143, A. dorsata visited the maximum number of umbelets (23.57, 23.44 and 20.27 umbelets/min) followed by A. mellifera (17.57, 16.82 and 14.71 umbelets/min) and A. cerana (13.19, 14.48 and 11.99 umbelets/min), whereas, Apis florea visited least number of umbelets/min (7.85, 7.17 and 7.34 umbelets/min), respectively, and on fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi, A. mellifera visited highest number of flowers (15.13 flowers/min) followed by A. cerana (10.79 flowers/min), whereas, Apis florea visited the least number of flowers/min (8.22 flowers/min). Based on pollination index, on coriander cv. DH-246 and DH-228, A. dorsata was the most efficient pollinator followed by A. mellifera, A. florea and A. cerana, whereas, on fennel cv. HF-143, A. dorsata was the most efficient pollinator followed by A. florea, A. mellifera and A. cerana and on fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi, A. mellifera was the most efficient pollinator followed by A. cerana and A. florea under agro-ecological conditions of Hisar. The yield/plant, yield/m2, per cent germination and test weight under open pollination were significantly higher than without insect pollination. The yield per plant and per m2 of coriander cv. DH-246, coriander cv. DH-228, fennel cv. HF-143, ajowain cv. HAJ-18 and fenugreek cv. Kasuri Methi under open pollination was 18.58 and 183.40, 17.48 and 173.66, 19.40 and 181.32, 9.08 and 82.18, and 8.65 and 84.60 g, whereas, in without insect pollination, the yield per plant and per m2 was 13.48 and 134.62, 12.84 and 128.64, 14.72 and 140.04, 6.59 and 60.58, and 8.31 and 81.73 g, however, the per cent increase over without insect pollination was 37.83 and 36.24, 36.14 and 35.00, 31.79 and 29.48, 37.76 and 35.66, and 4.17 and 3.51%, respectively.
Description
Keywords
Developmental stages, Biological phenomena, Coriander, Sowing, Grain, Yields, Fennel, Crops, Topping, Byproducts