Archive
 
2021(4)      October - December, 2021
https://doi.org/10.35495/ajab.2021.01.057

Pollination services of Apis Cerana and Tetragonula Laeviceps (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa)
 

Resi Alpionita1, Tri Atmowidi2, Sih Kahono2

1Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, Dramaga Campus, Bogor, Indonesia

2Laboratory of Entomology, Zoology Division, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bogor, Indonesia

 

Abstract

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) is a fruit-producing plant with high economic value and essential horticultural commodities in Indonesia. Although strawberry plants have hermaphrodite flowers, this plant requires pollinating insects because the mature male and female organs are not often mature at the same time. Honey bees and stingless bees were reported as effective pollination agents of various plants. This study aims to measure pollination services of Apis cerana and Tetragonula laeviceps on strawberry plants. Visiting activity of A. cerana and T. laeviceps were observed by focal sampling method from 8 am to 4 pm. The pollen load on insect were measured by using the acetolysis method. The results showed the highest duration visits of A. cerana (12.64±0.47 seconds/flower) and the number of flowers visited (12.80±0.65 flowers/three minutes) occurred at 8 to 9 am. Meanwhile, in T. laeviceps, the highest duration visits (89.15±9.03 seconds/number) and the number of flowers visited (2.18±0.22 flowers/three minutes) occurred at 9 to 10 am. The number of pollens carried by A. cerana and T. laeviceps were 303275 and 86281 pollen grains, respectively. Manual and bee pollinations increased the number of fruits formation, fruit size and weight, and vitamin C content compared with control plants.

Keywords:  Pollination services; Apis cerana; Tetragonula laeviceps; strawberry.

Download PDF

 
     
 
 
 
Asian Journal of Agriculture and Biology © 2013  
Asian Journal of Agriculture and Biology is licensed under

.