Pollination service of Nannotrigona testaceicornis stingless bees in strawberry

Abstract

Strawberry presents moderate dependence on bee pollination service, and pollination is related to the production and quality of fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pollination service provided by Nannotrigona testaceicornis stingless bees in strawberry. Primary flowers of cultivar San Andreas were used in a completely randomized experimental design, with twelve replicates and five types of pollination: one N. testaceicornis visit (1V); two N. testaceicornis visits (2V); three N. testaceicornis visits (3V); natural pollination (NP); self-pollination (SP). In flowers visited by N. testaceicornis, movements and visit time were observed. The following fruit characteristics were evaluated: fruit biometry, fecundation rate of achenes, postharvest fruit quality, contribution of pollination agents and mechanisms on average fruit weight. In fruit biometry, pollination service contributed only in longitudinal length, which was higher in NP and 3V, compared to SP. In the different types of pollination, the fertilization rate of achenes did not differ and showed no effect on fresh fruit weight. In post-harvest fruit quality, 1V, 3V and NP showed better results regarding degree of deformation and marketability. Nannotrigona testaceicornis stingless bees and natural pollination contributed to the average fresh weight of strawberry fruits. Nannotrigona testaceicornis stingless bees and natural pollination provided improvement in quality and added value of fruits. Nannotrigona testaceicornis stingless bees were effective strawberry pollinators.

Assessment of stingless bee densification to improve pollination service: a case study in strawberry cultivation in field conditions

“…In cultivars such as 'Oso Grande' and 'Sweet Charlie', Jataí bees (T. angustula) demonstrated pollination effectiveness, in addition to reducing the percentage of deformed fruits, showing an increase in fruit weight (Malagodi-Braga 2018). Thus, like Iraí bees (N. testceicornis), which in the study by Silva et al (2020), visits of bees also provided an increase in weight for the same cultivar as in the present work.…”

“…Stingless bees have great potential for agricultural pollination, are social, and form perennial and populous colonies with a large flow of activity, not posing risks to human health as they have atrophied stinger (Michener 2007). From these perspectives, stingless bees of the species Iraí (Nannotrigona testceicornis) and Jataí (Tetragonisca angustula) are promising pollinators for different agricultural crops, promoting an increase in fruit production and quality (Malagodi-Braga and Kleinert 2004;Silva et al 2020). In Brazil, some studies with Iraí have been published, for example, on pollination in protected cultivation for cucumber crops (Nicodemo et al 2013;Santos et al 2008).…”

Fruit set is moderately dependent on insect pollinators in strawberry and is limited by the availability of pollen under natural open conditions

“…In some cases, honeybees were better than bumblebees and gave heavier fruit, while in the others, the reverse was true. Silva et al (2020) found that flowers exposed to many insects produced larger fruit than those exposed to single insects. Herrmann et al (2019) exposed plants in cages to orchard bees (Osmia cornuta) or green bottle bees (Luciana sericata).…”