INSECT POLLINATORS DIVERSITY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ROLE OF ATTRACTANTS IN INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF WATERMELON [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)]
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Date
2013-07-22
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Publisher
University of Agricultural Sciences GKVK, Bangalore
Abstract
Insect pollinators diversity with special reference to role of
attractants in increasing productivity of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus
(Thunb.)] was carried out during summer season of 2012-2013 at
Agriculture Farm, National bureau of agriculturally important insects,
Atturu Layout, Yalahanka, Bangalore.
Sixteen and twenty two species of insect pollinators were recorded
on flowers of watermelon before and after application of attractants with
citral-a and citral-b. Among them, fifteen species were belong to order
Hymenoptera, four to Diptera, two to Lepidoptera and one to Coleoptera.
The abundance of Apis cerana was constituted 58.61 per cent of the total
insect pollinators against 41.39 per cent of other pollinators. The
quantity of nectar and its sugar concentration was more in female
flowers (3.43 μl and 60.75 %) than in male flowers (2.53 μl and 52.25 %).
Effectiveness of attractants in improving quantitative and qualitative
parameters such as fruit set, fruit weight, fruit volume, fruit length,
number of sound seeds, test weight, moisture, ash content, TSS and
germination percentage were maximum in open pollination treated with
Citral-a.
Description
Keywords
developmental stages, biological phenomena, fruits, watermelons, attractants, sexual reproduction, organic compounds, crops, honey, cucumbers