Use of a managed solitary bee to pollinate almonds : population sustainability and increased fruit set
Bosch, Jordi, 1961- (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Osorio-Canadas, Sergio (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Ecología)
Sgolastra, Fabio (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari (Italia))
Vicens, Narcís (Diputació de Girona. Servei de Medi Ambient)

Date:	2021
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.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad AGR91-0988-CO3
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Pollination service ; Osmia cornuta ; Apis mellifera ; Population dynamics ; Managed pollinators ; Crop pollination
Published in:	Insects, Vol. 12, Issue 1 (January 2021) , art. 56, ISSN 2075-4450

DOI: 10.3390/insects12010056
PMID: 33440833

11 p, 1.5 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles