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Asian Journal of Agricultural Research

Year: 2015 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 5 | Page No.: 189-207
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Authors

Nidhi Wadhwa

Ram Chander Sihag

Keywords

Research Article

Melittophilous Mode of Pollination Predominates in European Plum (Prunus domestica L.) in the Semi-Arid Environment of Northwest India

Nidhi Wadhwa and Ram Chander Sihag
European plum (Prunus domestica L.) is an important fruit and medicinal plant. This fruit plant is a new introduction in the Northwest region of India. Flowers of this plant need cross-pollination for fruit set. However, the spectrum of pollinators and their relative role in pollination of flowers of this fruit plant in this region is not known. To meet these objectives, the present study was carried out. An entire range of flower visitors of this fruit plant was captured with hand net from its field and were identified. On the basis of foraging mode, the flower visitors were characterized as pollinators and non-pollinators. Their relative abundances, foraging rates, activity durations and number of pollen grains carried on the surface were recorded and these parameters were used to determine their pollinating efficiencies. During the two years of this study, a total of 12 insect species were observed on the three varieties of plum at Hisar. Among these insect visitors, five species belonged to Hymenoptera, five to Diptera, one to Lepidoptera and one to Coleoptera. Apis dorsata was the most abundant visitor having maximal foraging rate and carried maximal number of loose pollen grains and proved to be the most efficient pollinator of plum (P. domestica) in both the seasons followed by A. mellifera, A. cerana and A. florea; the dipterans were the least efficient pollinators of plum in both the years. On the basis of these parameters, melittophilous mode of pollination was found to predominate in this fruit plant in the semi-arid environment of Northwest India. Conservation of wild honeybees has been recommended.
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