Small numbers of bee and non-bee pollinators detected moving between on-farm native plantings and neighbouring grass cropland

Schmidlin F.G.,Sullivan J.J.,Bowie M.H.,Read S.F.J.,Howlett B.G. 한국응용곤충학회 2021 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.24 No.3

On-farm native plantings support insect pollinator diversity, however, they must move between this habitat and crops grown elsewhere on the farm if they are to have any possibility of delivering pollination services that benefit growers. To determine whether pollinator movement occurs, sticky traps to capture verified crop pollinating insects (bees and non-bees species) were placed at distances of 0, 50, 100, 150 and 250 m from 5 year old native plantings into adjacent grass crops on three farms in New Zealand. These were activated twice for 48 h in Dec 2017 and Jan 2018. Captured pollinators were examined for pollen originating from the native plantings. A total of 993 individuals from 13 crop pollinating species were counted of which 506 were examined for pollen. Eight individuals representing three pollinator species were found with pollen sourced from the plantings. Of these, the native bee Lasioglossum sordidum (n = 4) was found to have travelled up to 250 m, while the native flies Melangyna novaezelandiae (n = 3) and Odontomyia sp. (n = 1) travelled up to 150 m. Despite finding few pol linators moving between these habitats, we recommend further studies to assess (1) whether the current study is truly indicative of limited pollinator movement across these habitats at broader temporal (e.g. seasonal and yearly), spatial and system scales (e.g. a broader range of agriculture systems and regions). Such knowledge can inform farmers on whether or not it is worthwhile establishing on-farm native plantings to support pollinators.

Diversity and Abundance of Insect Pollinators Affecting Seed Production in Mustard (Brassica napus L.)

Aashish Bansal,Dharam Pal Abrol 한국양봉학회 2023 韓國養蜂學會誌 Vol.38 No.4

The studies revealed that honeybees Apis dorsata, A. mellifera, A. cerana and A. florea were the dominant flower visitors and comprised of 83.20% of the total flower visiting insects. Their activities increased with temperature and sunshine and decreased with relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall and evaporation. Foraging population of honeybees were significantly and positively correlated with maximum temperature and minimum temperature and negatively with relative humidity in the morning. The other important insects frequenting mustard flowers were Andrena spp. Danaus plexippus, Pieris brassicae, Musca sp. and Syrphus sp; the latter group of insects mostly collected nectar and frequented at interrupted hours and were not considered as dependable pollinators. The data revealed that hand pollination resulted in significantly higher siliquae per plant than those excluded from insect visits. The caged plants on an average had 448.94 siliquae per plant whereas those left for open pollination resulted in 769.05 siliquae per plant. Open pollination was found to be superior to both the treatments as the number of siliquae produced was much higher 944.54. Similarly, Seeds/20 Siliquae, 1000 seed weight, Seed yield per plant, Seed yield per plot and Seed germination(%) was significantly higher in bee pollinated plots compared to open pollination and self pollination. Open pollination and hand pollination resulted in 118 and 76 per cent enhanced seed yield in mustard as compared to control.

Diversity and Abundance of Pollinators Affecting Seed Production in Radish (Raphanus sativa)

Deepak Kumar Sharma,Dharam Pal Abrol 한국양봉학회 2023 韓國養蜂學會誌 Vol.38 No.4

Investigations were conducted to determine the impact of insect pollinators affecting seed production in Radish. Observations revealed that honey bees Apis cerana, A. mellifera, A. dorsata, A. florea were the important flower visitors and comprised more than 83 per cent of the flower visiting insects. Of all the honeybees, A. cerana was the most abundant followed by A. mellifera>A. dorsata>A. florea. The activity of honeybees increased with temperature and sunshine and decreased with relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall and evaporation. The influence of flowering seasonality had significant effect on population dynamics of bees as maximum population of all the bee species were observed after 12 days of flowering. Open pollination was found to be superior to both hand pollination and self pollination treatments. The number of siliquae produced, 1000 seed weight, seed yield per plant, and seed germination (%) was significantly higher in bee pollinated plots compared to open pollination and self pollination. Open pollination and hand pollination resulted in 118 and 76 per cent enhanced seed yield in radish as compared to control.

Conservation and Utilization of Insect Pollinators for Promotion of Agricultural Production in Bangladesh

Amin, Md. Ruhul,Hossain, Md. Shamim,Suh, Sang Jae,Kwon, Yong Jung Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology 2014 慶北大農學誌 Vol.32 No.4

Agriculture in Bangladesh is slowly transforming to the production of high-value fruit and vegetable crops to satisfy the nutrient requirements of their large size population, and this transformation is creating new challenges as regards improving and maintaining the productivity and crop quality. The country has a declining trend of insect pollinators due to habitat loss, land use changes, monoculture-dominated agriculture, and the excessive and indiscriminate use of pesticides. Such pollinator deficiencies can cause reduced yields, thereby threatening the subsistence of marginal farmers. In Bangladesh, growers enjoy free pollination services from the naturally occurring insect populations. While honeybees pollinate mustard, onions, and melons, many other hymenopterans, coleopterans, hemipterans, dipterans, and thysanopterans also visit the crop fields, making these insects significant for the food security, environment, and economy of the nation. Therefore, attention should be given to public policy, research, and human resource development that promotes knowledge and appreciation of the conservation and utilization of insect pollinators.

The value of insect pollination to yield of oilseed rape (Brassica rapa) in Bangladesh

Islam Rabiul,Howlett Brad G.,Chapman Hazel,Haque Md. Azizul,Ahmad Masum 한국응용곤충학회 2022 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.25 No.1

Brassica rapa L., is a crop grown globally and studies have indicated that insect pollination can improve yields. However, the importance of insect pollination in this crop depends on cultivar reproductive biology, insect pollinator species and their abundances. In Bangladesh, the acreage of B. rapa for oilseed production has been expanding, but little is known about whether insects contribute to yield improvements. Using the commonly grown variety Tori-7, we found that plants with inflorescences left exposed to flower visiting insects (body width > 1.5 mm) had a 30.8% greater seed yield compared to those where insect flower visitors were excluded. Of 794 insect flower visiting individuals recorded from observation and trapping surveys conducted across four separate fields, Apis bees (four spp.) were the most abundant (66.1%), followed by flies Musca domestica (14.7%), Sepsis fulgens (6.3%) and hoverflies (3.0%; 3 spp; Syrphidae). Other flower visitors included ants, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths. For the cultivar assessed, we calculated the economic value of oilseed rape was $US 87.5 million per annum in Bangladesh, of which the economic value of insect pollination was $US 26.92 million per annum. Thus, one in every four dollars earned by our Bangladeshi growers resulted from insect crop pollination. This demonstrates to growers the need to promote and protect insect pollination to optimize their economic returns.

Pollinator’s Attraction and Fruit Setting in Intercropped Mango Orchards

Shafqat Saeed,Qamar Saeed,Yong Jung Kwon 한국응용곤충학회 2005 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2005 No.05

Comparative analysis of volatile organic compounds from flowers attractive to honey bees and bumblebees

Dekebo, Aman,Kim, Min-Jung,Son, Minwoong,Jung, Chuleui The Ecological Society of Korea 2022 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.46 No.1

Background: Pollinators help plants to reproduce and support economically valuable food for humans and entire ecosystems. However, declines of pollinators along with population growth and increasing agricultural activities hamper this mutual interaction. Nectar and pollen are the major reward for pollinators and flower morphology and volatiles mediate the specialized plant-pollinator interactions. Limited information is available on the volatile profiles attractive to honey bees and bumblebees. In this study we analyzed the volatile organic compounds of the flowers of 9 different plant species that are predominantly visited by honey bees and bumblebees. The chemical compositions of the volatiles were determined using a head space gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method, designed to understand the plant-pollinator chemical interaction. Results: Results showed the monoterpene 1,3,6-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl-, (E) (E-𝞫-ocimene) was the dominating compound in most flowers analyzed, e.g., in proportion of 60.3% in Lonicera japonica, 48.8% in Diospyros lotus, 38.4% Amorpha fruticosa and 23.7% in Robinia pseudoacacia. Ailanthus altissima exhibited other monoterpenes such as 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol (𝞫-linalool) (39.1%) and (5E)-3,5-dimethylocta-1,5,7-trien-3-ol (hotrienol) (32.1%) as predominant compounds. Nitrogen containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were occurring principally in Corydalis speciosa; 1H-pyrrole, 2,3-dimethyl- (50.0%) and pyrimidine, 2-methyl- (40.2%), and in Diospyros kaki; 1-triazene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl (40.5%). Ligustrum obtusifolium flower scent contains isopropoxycarbamic acid, ethyl ester (21.1%) and n-octane (13.4%) as major compounds. In Castanea crenata the preeminent compound is 1-phenylethanone (acetophenone) (46.7%). Conclusions: Olfactory cues are important for pollinators to locate their floral resources. Based on our results we conclude monoterpenes might be used as major chemical mediators attractive to both honey bees and bumblebees to their host flowers. However, the mode of action of these chemicals and possible synergistic effects for olfaction need further investigation.

Impact of Pollination Methods on Fruit Yield of Smooth Gourd (Luffa aegyptica Mill.) in India

Anooj S.S.,Veriender Singh Malik,Surender Kumar Sharma,Yogesh Kumar,Mahesh Kumar Rana 한국양봉학회 2013 韓國養蜂學會誌 Vol.28 No.4

Vulnerability of East Asian bumblebee species to future climate and land cover changes

Naeem, Muhammad,Liu, Meijuan,Huang, Jiaxing,Ding, Guiling,Potapov, Grigory,Jung, Chuleui,An, Jiandong Elsevier 2019 Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol.277 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Pollinators play a key role in agricultural and natural ecosystems, but their biodiversity is highly vulnerable to the impact of environmental changes. Here, we evaluated the distributional responses of 29 bumblebee species endemic to East Asia to future (2050s and 2070s) climate and land cover changes, and 17–27 (59–93 %) of the species exhibited range contraction. A decrease in species richness from 25 to 19 species in the highest region of central China was also detected due to range shifts of 17 km to 574 km. Furthermore, one (3.44%), three to five (10–17 %), and two to eight (7–28 %) of the 29 bumblebee species were predicted to become critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable in the future, respectively. Our study highlights the strong impact of environmental changes on species distributions, and we suggest strategies for the conservation of vulnerable species that include protecting the regions of high species richness and the most dominant land covers within the current range to mitigate the threat of environmental changes.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Pollinators are under threat from climate and climate-induced land cover changes. </LI> <LI> Distributional responses were predicted for 29 bumblebee species in East Asia. </LI> <LI> Of the studied species, 59–93 % experienced range loss in the future. </LI> <LI> Species richness declined within central mainland China and northeastern Asia. </LI> <LI> Conserving regions with high species richness and dominant land covers is needed. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Foraging Ecology of Insect Pollinators Visiting Cherry Flowers and Their Impact on Fruit Production

D. P. Abrol 한국양봉학회 2005 韓國養蜂學會誌 Vol.20 No.2