Pollination Efficiency of Apis mellifera and Hypotrigona gribodoi on Capsicum annuum Fruit Set and Yield.

Abstract

Pollination by insects accounts for over 70% of global food crop production. Among insect species, bees are one of the most efficient pollinators though their pollination efficiency varies between species. Amidst rising worries about declining pollinator populations due to human activities, comprehending diverse pollinator capabilities is crucial for conservation. While stingless bees show promise as commercial pollinators, their capacities compared to Apis mellifera remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the pollination efficiency of Apis mellifera and Hypotrigona gribodoi on fruit set and yield in Capsicum annuum. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with three replications and three caged treatments involving Apis mellifera, Hypotrigona gribodoi, and a control plot without pollinators on Capsicum annum. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis were used to compare the differences in fruit quality, seed quality, and fruit set rate between the two species. Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) and Dunn tests were used for normally distributed and non-normally distributed data respectively. The results show significant differences in the number of fruits per plant, fruit transverse circumference, fruit vertical circumference, fruit weight and percentage fruit set rate per plant between control plot without a pollinator, Apis melifera and Hypotrigona gribodoi pollinated Capsicum annuum (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the number of seeds in the fruit and the weight of 100 dry seeds per fruit among the two species (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that Hypotrigona gribodoi is a more efficient pollinator of Capsicum annum L. More research on the differential pollination efficiency among different species in crop production is imperative.