Citation:
Carr, S. A., & Davidar, P. (2015). Pollinator dependency, pollen limitation and pollinator visitation rates to six vegetable crops in southern India. Journal Of Pollination Ecology, 16 51-57.
Purpose:
The aim of the study is to observe and gather information on the levels of pollinator dependence, pollen limitation and identifying major pollinating insects that visit flowers and six vegetable crops in Southern India. The six different type of crops consist of brinjal, tomato, chili pepper, okra and bitter and snake gourds. Pollinators are crucial to the reproduction of plants and studying what affects the our produce/agriculture could further studies on that topic.
Methods:
The study was done in Tamil Nadu where six family farms were selected during December 2011 to June 2012, from November to December 2012, and from January to March 3013 which were main growing seasons for vegetables. In order to gather information of the plants, level of autogamy and pollinator dependancy Carr and Davidar used hand pollination experiments. Plants were randomly selected and stemens of the six plants would be collected in order to gather how much pollen there is. In order to collect pollinators they captured them after treatment of flowers using cotton mosquito mesh cloth bags. How much fruit each plants had was also looked at. There are two different treatments they did on the flowers: self, cross, and open pollination treatment. They observed the breeding system using the index of self-incompatibility; pollination dependacy was estimated by subtracting the percent fruit by autogamous pollination from percent fruit set bt open pollination and pollen limitation was found as the ratio of percent fruit set from hand cross pollination to open. Lastly pollinators were observed and categorized as well as doing a non parametric statistical analysis to test the differences between fruit set from the pollination treatments between crops, and visitation rates of different pollinator taxa.
Results:
The fruit set during the cross pollination treatment was lower than open which could damage floral parts during emasculation or poor quality pollen. Fruit set for the open pollination treatment was from 40-72% and didn’t differ in crop type. Pollinator dependacy average was 26+/- 21 where tomato was 0; it also ranged from 8-76% within crop variety except for tomato. There was no evidence of pollen limitation except for from brinjal at one site.The found that there five main pollinators: social bees, stingless bees, solitary bees, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), and wasps. Honeybees and butterflies visited all flowers but had the highest visitation rates for tomato, chili, and gourds. Solitary bees and butterflies to brinjal. Honeybees went to the okra.
Significance for Palau:
I will specifically be observing pollinators in Palau since it hasn’t been studied in depth there. I think this study can help me relate to what I would be looking for when I get the chance to do my own study. While reading the study it gives me a lot more depth and explain what certain things mean which can help me understand what I am looking at while observing the invertebrates that pollinate certain flowers in Palau. Even though this study was done looking at the agricultural background it would have the same effect as if I do it with any other flower.
Carr, S. A., & Davidar, P. (2015). Pollinator dependency, pollen limitation and pollinator visitation rates to six vegetable crops in southern India. Journal Of Pollination Ecology, 16 51-57.
Purpose:
The aim of the study is to observe and gather information on the levels of pollinator dependence, pollen limitation and identifying major pollinating insects that visit flowers and six vegetable crops in Southern India. The six different type of crops consist of brinjal, tomato, chili pepper, okra and bitter and snake gourds. Pollinators are crucial to the reproduction of plants and studying what affects the our produce/agriculture could further studies on that topic.
Methods:
The study was done in Tamil Nadu where six family farms were selected during December 2011 to June 2012, from November to December 2012, and from January to March 3013 which were main growing seasons for vegetables. In order to gather information of the plants, level of autogamy and pollinator dependancy Carr and Davidar used hand pollination experiments. Plants were randomly selected and stemens of the six plants would be collected in order to gather how much pollen there is. In order to collect pollinators they captured them after treatment of flowers using cotton mosquito mesh cloth bags. How much fruit each plants had was also looked at. There are two different treatments they did on the flowers: self, cross, and open pollination treatment. They observed the breeding system using the index of self-incompatibility; pollination dependacy was estimated by subtracting the percent fruit by autogamous pollination from percent fruit set bt open pollination and pollen limitation was found as the ratio of percent fruit set from hand cross pollination to open. Lastly pollinators were observed and categorized as well as doing a non parametric statistical analysis to test the differences between fruit set from the pollination treatments between crops, and visitation rates of different pollinator taxa.
Results:
The fruit set during the cross pollination treatment was lower than open which could damage floral parts during emasculation or poor quality pollen. Fruit set for the open pollination treatment was from 40-72% and didn’t differ in crop type. Pollinator dependacy average was 26+/- 21 where tomato was 0; it also ranged from 8-76% within crop variety except for tomato. There was no evidence of pollen limitation except for from brinjal at one site.The found that there five main pollinators: social bees, stingless bees, solitary bees, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), and wasps. Honeybees and butterflies visited all flowers but had the highest visitation rates for tomato, chili, and gourds. Solitary bees and butterflies to brinjal. Honeybees went to the okra.
Significance for Palau:
I will specifically be observing pollinators in Palau since it hasn’t been studied in depth there. I think this study can help me relate to what I would be looking for when I get the chance to do my own study. While reading the study it gives me a lot more depth and explain what certain things mean which can help me understand what I am looking at while observing the invertebrates that pollinate certain flowers in Palau. Even though this study was done looking at the agricultural background it would have the same effect as if I do it with any other flower.
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