Kiwifruit pollination: An unbiased estimate of wind and bee contribution

Abstract

The role of wind and bees in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson) pollination was investigated using large cages enclosing 80 mature vines and assembled so as to prevent insects entering without reducing wind flow within the cages. Monitoring wind speed within the cage and in the open orchard showed that the cages were suitable for such experimentation. Cages without hives, cages with hives, open pollination with hives, and hand pollination were compared during 1990 and 1991. Wind pollination led to an appreciable fruit set (81 and 98% in the first and second year respectively) but fruit weight was low, averaging 61 and 66 g. The use of hives resulted in 98-100% fruit set, but fruit size did not improve significantly, remaining far below that achieved by hand pollination (66 g versus 108 g, the first year; 78 g versus 119 g, the second year). The short flowering period, the frequent adverse weather conditions, and the unpredictable foraging efficiency of bee colonies, made both wind and honey bees inadequate for kiwifruit pollination. Only hand pollination guaranteed maximal fruit size in each year.

Influence of honey bee (Apis mellifera) on kiwifruit pollination and fruit quality under Australian conditions

“…By caging a male and female vine together, Testolin et al (1991) reported 69% fruit set and a mean fruit weight of 58 g as a result of wind pollination compared with an open (uncaged) honey bee pollinated control of 98% fruit set and a mean fruit weight of 88 g. This represented a total yield reduction of up 50% in the absence of bees. Costa et al (1993) using much larger cages reported that hand pollination resulted in bigger fruit (119 g) than did bee supplementation (78 g), caging with bees (90 g), and wind pollination (66 g). Vaissiere et al (1996) used paired flowers instead of cages and reported that honey bees disperse pollen in the air while foraging on kiwifruit flowers, thus contributing to passive pollination in kiwifruit.…”

“…The relative importance of honey bees and wind in kiwifruit pollination is not clear. Although honey bees appear to be responsible for most kiwifruit pollination, wind may also be an important vector (Palmer-Jones & Clinch 1974;Hopping 1979;Jay & Jay 1984;Testolin et al 1991;Costa et al 1993;Vaissiere et al 1996). Literature from New Zealand, United States, Spain, and France indicate that honey bees are essential for pollination and the production of large fruit (Palmer-Jones & Clinch 1974;McKay 1976;Clinch 1984;Ponchia & Youssef 1991;Vaissiere et al 1996).…”

“…Literature from New Zealand, United States, Spain, and France indicate that honey bees are essential for pollination and the production of large fruit (Palmer-Jones & Clinch 1974;McKay 1976;Clinch 1984;Ponchia & Youssef 1991;Vaissiere et al 1996). However, results from Italy show inadequate pollination by honey bees, and wind contributing appreciably to pollination (Testolin et al 1991;Costa et al 1993). Testolin et al ( 1991) reported 200 and 400 seeds in fruit >70 g under conditions in which bees were excluded and in open pollination respectively.…”

Evidence of the role of honey bees (Apis mellifera) as vectors of the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae

“…(Vanneste et al 2013). Kiwifruit flowers are predominantly insect pollinated (Goodwin et al 2013), and honey bees are important for obtaining consistent fruit set and size (Craig et al 1988;Costa et al 1993). Psa has been detected in kiwifruit pollen in Italy and New Zealand (Gallelli et al 2011;Vanneste et al 2011), and contaminated pollen has been implicated in the spread of the disease .…”

Wind and honey bee pollination of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis‘HORT16A’)

“…In 'Hayward', pollen is transferred through wind (Intoppa & Piazza 1990;Costa et al 1993;Vaissiere et al 1993) and insect foraging (PalmerJones & Clinch 1974;Clinch 1984;Goodwin 1987). Honey bee hives are introduced to almost all New Zealand orchards, but are not introduced to some Italian kiwifruit orchards, where large fans are used to blow pollen between plants (personal observation).…”