ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination
POSSIBLE ROUTES OF AVOCADO TREE POLLINATION BY HONEYBEES |
| Authors: | G. Ish-Am, D. Eisikowitch |
| Abstract:
The avocado (Persea americana Mill.), known as a typical cross-pollinated species due to its synchroneously protogynous flowering rhythm, has now been shown to in fact be both an efficient neighbour and cross-pollinated tree which exposes part of its flowers to inter-cultivar pollination only, while the remainders are exposed to both intra and inter-cultivar pollination. Ten morphological stages were recognized during the flower's life span. The flowers change their stage individually and within a two hour period it is changed on the whole tree. Both the appearance and disappearance of each stage are synchronized among the cultivar's trees. In all the cultivars which were checked a bisexual flowering phase occurred daily. Significant linear correlation of flowering time with temperature was found; the occurance of the flower stages was delayed by 21–60 minutes for a temperature drop of 1°C. The staminate and pistillate flowers are similar in structure, thus ensuring that the bee touches both pollen and stigmas in a similar manner. No discrimination between staminate and pistillate flowers has been observed during the flight of nectar collecting bees. | |
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