ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination
INSECT POLLINATION OF THREE SOLANACEOUS VEGETABLE CROPS IN GHANA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ROLE OF AFRICAN HONEY BEE (APIS MELLIFERA ADANSONII) FOR FRUIT SET. |
| Authors: | J. Amoako, K. Yeboah-Gyan |
| Abstract:
Preliminary investigations were conducted in Kumasi a humid forest area in Ghana, on the floral morphology, relative abundance of the insect visitors, mode of reproduction and the efficiency of African honey bees (Apis mellifera adansonii) to increase the yield of Lycopersicon esculentum, Capsicum frutescens and Solanum melongena commonly grown in Ghana. Results indicated that L.esculentum, C. frutescens and S. melongena are partly self-incompatible and need cross-fertilization for greater fruit set. They share a common spectum of certain insect specied as visitors, the most abundant being Apis mellifera and Xylocopa spp. The foraging patterns and abundance of the insects were affected by temperature and relative humidity. Plants visited by insects generally produced more fruit of better quality. Flowers of the crops pollinated by honey bees produced significantly greater fruit yield than those excluded from insects. Flowers also showed earlier petal fall which resulted in more uniform fruit ripening. These results indicate the effectiveness of using honey bees to increase fruit set of the crops. | |
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