IngentaConnect Pollination of Greenhouse Tomatoes by the Australian Bluebanded B...

Authors: Bell, M. C.; Spooner-hart, R. N.; Haigh, A. M.

Source: Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 99, Number 2, April 2006 , pp. 437-442(6)

Publisher: Entomological Society of America

Abstract:

The pollination effectiveness of bluebanded bees of the species Amegilla (Zonamegilla) holmesi Rayment (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was evaluated in tomato plants, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller (Solanaceae), cultivated in two greenhouse chambers. Bluebanded bee pollination was compared with mechanical pollination and no supplementary pollination. Pollination effectiveness was compared between treatments by using the percentage of fruit set, fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit roundness, and the number of seeds per fruit. Both the bluebanded bee pollination and the mechanical pollination treatments significantly increased fruit set, individual fruit weight, and diameter compared with the control treatment. Fruit were also significantly rounder and contained significantly more seeds. Positive correlations were found for fruit weight versus seed number, maximum diameter versus seed number and minimum diameter versus seed number. We conclude that the use of A. holmesi for pollinating greenhouse tomatoes in Australia may be an effective alternative to the use of mechanical pollination.

View now:

83.2kb

Although the PDF version of the article is freely available, the article is available in other formats to subscribers of the journal or for purchase.

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$28.00 plus tax

Pollination of Greenhouse Tomatoes by the Australian Bluebanded Bee Amegilla (Zonamegilla) holmesi (Hymenoptera: Apidae)