INSECT POLLINATOR DIVERSITY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ROLE OF ATTRACTANTS IN INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PUMPKIN, Cucurbita moschata (Duch.)
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Date
2021-11-18
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Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga
Abstract
A study was conducted on diversity, abundance, foraging behavior and role of attractants on quantitative and qualitative parameters of pumpkin during Rabi, 2021 at KSNUAHS, Navile, Shivamogga. The results revealed that a total of 22 species of insect flower visitors were recorded on pumpkin flowers. Of which, 17 were Hymenopterans, three were Lepidopterans and two were Coleopterans. The Hymenoptera order consisted of four families; Apidae (Nine species), Meghachilidae (One species), Halictidae (Four species) and Vespidae (Three species). There are three families in the order Lepidoptera; Pieridae (One species), Nymphalidae (One species) and Lycaenidae (One species). However, only two species of flower visitors were recorded from order Coleoptera belonging to single family, Coccinellidae. The abundance of flower visitors of pumpkin revealed that Apis florea (32.06 %) was more abundant followed by A. cerana (28.61 %), A. dorsata (21.88 %) and other pollinators (17.45 %). The mean quantity of nectar was more in female flowers (18.8 ± 0.73 µl) compared to the male flowers (12.66 ± 0.60 µl). The number of flowers visited and mean pollen carrying capacity was recorded highest in A. dorsata (8.4 ± 1.84 flowers/min, 10345), followed by A. cerana (7.7 ± 1.16 flowers/min, 7214) and A. florea (5.1 ± 0.88 flowers/min, 4608). Between three insect flower visitors, A. florea spent the most time on pistillate and staminate flowers and was superior to A. cerana and A. dorsata. The role of attractants on quantitative and qualitative parameters such as fruit drop, fruit set, fruit weight, fruit volume, fruit length, number of sound seeds per fruit, seed weight, ash content, moisture, TSS and germination percentage recorded maximum in open pollination with Citral-a compared to Citral-b, Jaggery solution (10 %) and Sugar solution (10 %). However, there was no fruit set in the control condition because of the absence of flower visitors.