ROLE OF HONEY BEES IN THE POLLINATION OF GUAVA (Psidium guajava L.)
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Date
2011-06-12
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University of Agricultural Sciences GKVK, Bangalore
Abstract
Experiment was conducted on guava variety Allahabed safed at
Horticulture farm, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore.
At flowering stage, guava was visited by ten species of insect pollinators.
All these ten species belonged to order Hymenoptera. Among insect
pollinators of guava, honey bees were the most predominant species. The
peak foraging activity of honey bees was observed between 0900 and
1100 h. Fruit set in relation to frequency of bee visits to the flowers
revealed that as the number of bee visits to each flower increased from
0 to 6 visits, the per cent of fruit set also increased (A. dorsata 13.89 to
86.11 %, A. cerana 11.11 to 75.00 % and A. florea 8.33 to 41.67 %). The
mean fruit weight, fruit volume, fruit length and fruit width also
increased with increase in number of bee visits irrespective of species.
The flower drop was lowest in open pollinated plants (12.00 %) compared
with those under caged condition (A. cerana 22.67 %, hand pollination at
0900 h 36.67 %, hand pollination at 0800 h 43.33 %, A. florea 54.67 %
and hand pollination at 0700 h 66.67 %) and without honey bees
(control 88.00 %). Maximum fruit set (88.00 %), fruit weight (144.31 g),
fruit volume (131.50 ml), fruit length (6.43 cm), fruit girth (6.60 cm), fruit
width (6.50 cm), number of seeds/fruit (250.83) and seed weight/fruit
(3.46 g) were found in open pollinated plants, followed by A. cerana
pollination, hand pollination at 0900 h, hand pollination at 0800 h,
A. florea pollination, hand pollination at 0700 h and control plot. Total
soluble sugars and percentage of seed germination was maximum in
open pollination plot compared to other modes of pollination.
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