<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Understanding how bees use the resources provided by crops of massive flowering is essential to develop meaningful agricultural management of plans to maximize the potential of pollination service. We assessed the effect of the pollination carried out by native species <italic>Bombus pauloensis</italic> and <italic>Apis mellifera</italic> on the production and quality of blueberry fruits. In this context, we tested the prediction that pollinator assemblages benefit fruit yield. Four treatments were performed: open pollination, <italic>B. pauloensis</italic> pollination, <italic>A. mellifera</italic> pollination, and autogamy. For each treatment, the frequency of floral visitors, fruit setting, yield, and quality were evaluated. The results showed that <italic>Vaccinium corymbosum</italic> L. ‘Emerald’ is highly dependent on entomophilous pollination to obtain optimal production and high-quality fruit, and that pollination with <italic>A. mellifera</italic> generated the highest proportion of fruit setting (0.80 ± 0.03). The highest seed number was found in open pollinated fruits. This study highlights the effect of the interactions among wild and managed pollinators on the productivity of commercial blueberry fields, and is the first report of <italic>B. pauloensis</italic> use in blueberry pollination.</p></abstract>

Understanding how bees use the resources provided by crops of massive flowering is essential to develop meaningful agricultural management of plans to maximize the potential of pollination service. We assessed the effect of the pollination carried out by native species Bombus pauloensis and Apis mellifera on the production and quality of blueberry fruits. In this context, we tested the prediction that pollinator assemblages benefit fruit yield. Four treatments were performed: open pollination, B. pauloensis pollination, A. mellifera pollination, and autogamy. For each treatment, the frequency of floral visitors, fruit setting, yield, and quality were evaluated. The results showed that Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Emerald’ is highly dependent on entomophilous pollination to obtain optimal production and high-quality fruit, and that pollination with A. mellifera generated the highest proportion of fruit setting (0.80 ± 0.03). The highest seed number was found in open pollinated fruits. This study highlights the effect of the interactions among wild and managed pollinators on the productivity of commercial blueberry fields, and is the first report of B. pauloensis use in blueberry pollination.

Pollination Efficiency of Managed Bee Species (<italic>Apis mellifera</italic> and <italic>Bombus pauloensis</italic>) in Highbush Blueberry (<italic>Vaccinium corymbosum</italic>) Productivity

PROANVET-Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

Journal of Horticultural Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Pollination Efficiency of Managed Bee Species ( and ) in Highbush Blueberry () Productivity

Understanding how bees use the resources provided by crops of massive flowering is essential to develop meaningful agricultural management of plans to maximize...

Parameters	Autogamy	Apis mellifera	Bombus pauloensis	Open pollination	Wald test
Parameters	Autogamy	Apis mellifera	Bombus pauloensis	Open pollination	F	P
Fruit setting	0.14 (±0.03) C	0.80 (±0.03) A	0.71 (±0.04) B	0.75 (±0.04) B	151.25	<0.0001
Seeds per fruit	1.09 (±0.11) C	10.97 (±0.84) B	11.73 (±0.89) B	15.00 (±1.08) A	157.83	<0.0001
Firmness (g)	183.38 (±3.73) B	273.34 (±5.21) A	268.13 (±5.11) A	268.13 (±4.47) A	55.45	<0.0001
Mass of fruit (g)	1.62 (±0.10) B	3.19 (±0.16) A	3.06 (±0.15) A	3.19 (±0.14) A	21.01	<0.0001
Average dry matter (%)	14.46 (±0.42) A	14.24 (±0.41) A	13.88 (±0.40) AB	13.16 (±0.35) B	3.49	0.0216
Total soluble solids (%)	13.81 (±0.35) A	12.69 (±0.33) B	13.01 (±0.34) A	12.07 (±0.31) C	18.61	0.0001
Total acidity (%)	0.62 (±0.07) A	0.73 (±0.08) A	0.70 (±0.08) A	0.72 (±0.07) A	0.49	0.6885
Maturity index	22.09 (±2.65) A	17.66 (±2.05) A	18.97 (±2.21) A	17.03 (±1.91) A	1.42	0.2464

Pollination Efficiency of Managed Bee Species (Apis mellifera and Bombus pauloensis) in Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Productivity

Online veröffentlicht: 30. Juni 2020

Seitenbereich: 57 - 64

Eingereicht: 01. Sept. 2019

Akzeptiert: 01. März 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johr-2020-0003

Schlüsselwörter
blueberry, pollination, fruit quality,

© 2020 Pablo Cavigliasso et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fruit yield and quality parameters of blueberry depending on the type of pollination

Pollination Efficiency of Managed Bee Species (Apis mellifera and Bombus pauloensis) in Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Productivity

Online veröffentlicht: 30. Juni 2020

Seitenbereich: 57 - 64

Eingereicht: 01. Sept. 2019

Akzeptiert: 01. März 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johr-2020-0003

Schlüsselwörterblueberry, pollination, fruit quality,

© 2020 Pablo Cavigliasso et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Fruit yield and quality parameters of blueberry depending on the type of pollination

Schlüsselwörter
blueberry, pollination, fruit quality,