ISHS Acta Horticulturae 165: III International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture
NECTAR SECRETION AND POLLINATION OF THE BLUEBERRY (VACCINIUM CORYMBOSUM L.) |
| Authors: | B. Jablonski, S. Król, K. Pliszka, Z. Zurowska |
| Abstract:
Fourteen blueberry cultivars were examined in 1981–1982 in Pulawy. Significant differences in nectar secretion intensity were observed among this cultivars. An abundant nectar production was positively correlated with the visit rate of pollinating insects to flowers. Then an increased visit rate resulted in a distinctly higher percentage of set fruits. On the other hand all the cultivars isolated from Apoidea insects usually has no fruit set. Among pollinating insects honey bees constituted 93–98% and the rest - bumble bees, mainly females of various species. Mean density of honey bees on 1 ha of blueberry plantation was 3000 (2000–4000) in the fourth year after planting. This corresponds more or less to one not very strong bee colony. It seems that bearing plantation needs three-time higher density of bee population. Four-year-old blueberry plants gave for insects 30–40 kg of sugar per 1 ha. Presumably, these values should be three times higher. Berry yield of the best cultivar - Lateblue amounted to 1.8 kg per bush in the third year after planting. | |
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