Use of a Managed Solitary Bee to Pollinate Almonds: Population Sustainability and Increased Fruit Set
Open Access
- 11 January 2021
- Vol. 12 (1), 56
- https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12010056
Abstract
Osmia spp. are excellent orchard pollinators but evidence that their populations can be sustained in orchard environments and their use results in increased fruit production is scarce. We released an Osmia cornuta population in an almond orchard and measured its population dynamics, as well as visitation rates and fruit set at increasing distances from the nesting stations. Honeybees were 10 times more abundant than O. cornuta. However, the best models relating fruit set and bee visitation included only O. cornuta visitation, which explained 41% and 40% of the initial and final fruit set. Distance from the nesting stations explained 27.7% and 22.1% of the variability in initial and final fruit set. Of the 198 females released, 99 (54.4%) established and produced an average of 9.15 cells. Female population growth was 1.28. By comparing our results with those of previous O. cornuta studies we identify two important populational bottlenecks (female establishment and male-biased progeny sex ratios). Our study demonstrates that even a small population of a highly effective pollinator may have a significant impact on fruit set. Our results are encouraging for the use of Osmia managed populations and for the implementation of measures to promote wild pollinators in agricultural environments.Keywords
Funding Information
- Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica (project AGR. 91-0988-CO3)
This publication has 49 references indexed in Scilit:
- Wild pollination services to California almond rely on semi‐natural habitatJournal of Applied Ecology, 2012
- Foraging Range of Honey Bees,Apis mellifera, in Alfalfa Seed Production FieldsJournal of Insect Science, 2011
- Occurrence of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Agricultural and Natural Ecosystems in Saltillo, México, and their Virulence Towards Thrips and WhitefliesJournal of Insect Science, 2011
- Olfactory Response of Megachilid Bees, Osmia lignaria, Megachile rotundata, and M. pugnata, to Individual Cues from Old Nest CavitiesEnvironmental Entomology, 2007
- Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world cropsProceedings. Biological sciences, 2006
- A century of advances in bumblebee domestication and the economic and environmental aspects of its commercialization for pollinationApidologie, 2006
- Bee Population Returns and Cherry Yields in an Orchard Pollinated with Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)Journal of Economic Entomology, 2006
- Osmia cornuta Latr. (Hym., Megachilidae) as a potential pollinator in almond orchardsJournal of Applied Entomology, 1994
- Pollens collected by wild and managed populations of the potential orchard pollinator Osmia cornuta (Latr.) (Hym., Megachilidae)Journal of Applied Entomology, 1994
- Foraging Strategy of Honeybee Colonies in a Temperate Deciduous ForestEcology, 1982