Articles
Supplemental artificial pollination can improve fruit set in tree fruit
Article number
1346_16
Pages
121 – 128
Language
English
Abstract
Tree fruit production could not exist without the temporary introduction of pollinators (predominantly Apis mellifera) and utilization of pollinizer trees dispersed orchard-wide.
Despite the importance of pollination, tree fruit growers continue to utilize this archaic pollinator + pollinizer system that is particularly fraught with variability.
Facing a global decline in pollinators, climate change, and the myriad perennial challenges growers face with the pollinator + pollinizer model, we are investigating artificial, precision pollination systems.
This presentation describes our vision for productive orchard systems in the absence of both insect pollinators and pollinizers and results of field trials with our supplemental pollination system utilizing liquid pollen suspensions applied with electrostatic sprayer technology.
Supplemental pollination (i.e., in the presence of pollinators and pollinizers) with a single application of pollen (ca. 37 g ha‑1) improved Tieton sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit set by 15% compared to open-pollinated limbs.
Fruit yield was similar for open-pollinated trees and those treated with two applications (at ca. 50 and 100% full bloom) of pollen suspensions through bee-exclusion netting deployed prior to flowering (i.e., in the absence of natural pollinators). Between 2016 and 2019, commercial-scale field trials in sweet cherry, apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), and pear (Pyrus communis) have revealed improvements in fruit set (+12-45%) and yield from both single and double applications of supplemental pollination at both 37 and 74 g ha‑1 pollen.
Our results suggest that artificial pollination with liquid pollen suspensions can be effective for either supplemental or replacement pollination strategies.
Despite the importance of pollination, tree fruit growers continue to utilize this archaic pollinator + pollinizer system that is particularly fraught with variability.
Facing a global decline in pollinators, climate change, and the myriad perennial challenges growers face with the pollinator + pollinizer model, we are investigating artificial, precision pollination systems.
This presentation describes our vision for productive orchard systems in the absence of both insect pollinators and pollinizers and results of field trials with our supplemental pollination system utilizing liquid pollen suspensions applied with electrostatic sprayer technology.
Supplemental pollination (i.e., in the presence of pollinators and pollinizers) with a single application of pollen (ca. 37 g ha‑1) improved Tieton sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit set by 15% compared to open-pollinated limbs.
Fruit yield was similar for open-pollinated trees and those treated with two applications (at ca. 50 and 100% full bloom) of pollen suspensions through bee-exclusion netting deployed prior to flowering (i.e., in the absence of natural pollinators). Between 2016 and 2019, commercial-scale field trials in sweet cherry, apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), and pear (Pyrus communis) have revealed improvements in fruit set (+12-45%) and yield from both single and double applications of supplemental pollination at both 37 and 74 g ha‑1 pollen.
Our results suggest that artificial pollination with liquid pollen suspensions can be effective for either supplemental or replacement pollination strategies.
Publication
Authors
M. Whiting, K. Taylor, P. Das
Keywords
pollinizer, pollinator, sweet cherry, apple, climate change
Online Articles (107)