ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination
HONEY BEE VISITS AND POLLINATION OF RED RASPBERRIES |
| Authors: | D. de Oliveira, J. Gingras, M. Chagnon |
| Abstract:
A study on raspberry, Rubus idaeus L., pollination was undertaken in southern Québec. Raspberry flowers were bagged before flowering began. Once the flowers bloomed, the bags were removed while data were collected. The number and length of honey bee visits to these flowers were recorded. Their effect on pollination was quantified using the weight and number of drupelets on the resulting berries. The weight of berries and number of drupelets increased with the number and length of visits. The product harvested by honey bees, either nectar or both pollen and nectar, was determined by observing foraging bee behaviour. The cumulated visiting time to a given flower was most effective when foraging involved the collection of pollen and nectar rather than nectar only. Once this cumulated time adds up to about 150 seconds, pollination reaches a maximum. Five or six honey bee visits per flower are sufficient to attain adequate pollination and raspberry development. | |
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