Cultivar placement affects pollination efficiency and fruit production in European pear (Pyrus communis) orchards |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada;2. Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada;1. Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK;2. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Pará, 66095-903, Brazil;3. Syngenta UK, Jealott’s Hill, Jealotts Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, RG42 6EY, UK;4. Biobest Belgium NV, Ilse Velden 18, 2260 Westerlo, Belgium;1. Migal, Galilee Scientific Research Institute, P.O. Box 831, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel;2. Triwaks Bee Research Center, Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel;3. Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 12210, Israel;1. Genetics, Reproduction and Populations Research Group, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2, Box L7 05 14, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;2. Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Université de Mons, Place du Parc 23, 7000 Mons, Belgium;3. Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium;1. Department of Plant and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;2. Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, United States |
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| Abstract: | European pear (Pyrus communis) requires insect pollination among compatible cultivars for fruit production. However, most commercial orchards have a limited number of cultivars arranged in monotypic blocks or rows. This can result in insufficient inter-cultivar pollination. We hypothesise that limitations in pollen transfer among cultivars could be explained by both insect behaviour and orchard design. We compared insect activity and pollination efficiency in two European pear cultivars, in orchards with different designs: (i) cultivars alternated in the same row or (ii) cultivars in separate rows. To assess limitations in pollen transfer, we also compared hand pollination with compatible pollen versus open pollination by insects. Insect visitors mainly foraged on neighbouring trees within a row, with few movements across rows (1%). Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) visited significantly more flowers per tree (8.5 vs. 3) and more trees (2.1 vs. 1.3) than solitary bees (Andrena spp.) and hoverflies. Insect visitors deposited large amounts of pollen (∼500 pollen grains) on flower stigmas regardless of the insect type. Cultivar placement affected inter-cultivar pollination; less incompatibility signs were observed when cultivars alternated in the same row (5%) than when cultivars were in separate rows (38%). We observed limitations in pollen transfer as open pollination resulted in significant reduced fruit set, compared with hand pollination, in ‘Conférence’ (21% vs. 30.7%) and ‘Doyenné du Comice’ (7.2% vs. 16.8%). The foraging behaviour of the insects limited thus inter-cultivar pollen transfer in the orchards with cultivars in separate rows. Cultivars used for pollination (pollinizers) should be planted in the same rows as the main cultivar to increase inter-cultivar pollination. |
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| Keywords: | Foraging behaviour Orchard design Solitary bees |
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