Pollination of Greenhouse Tomatoes by the Mexican bumblebee Bombus ephippiatus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

摘要: The Mexican native bumblebee Bombus ephippiatus Say was evaluated as a potential pollinator of greenhouse tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicon L.). experiments were performed at San Andres Cholula, Puebla, Mexico, from June to December 2004 in two 1 000 m2 greenhouses planted with the cultivar Mallory (Hazera ®). For experiments, we used colonies , reared laboratory queens captured field.  Four treatments applied 20 study plants: pollination by bumble bees, manual pollination, mechanical vibration and no (bagged flowers, vibration). We measured percentage flowers visited number seeds per fruit, maturing time, sugar content, fruit weight shape. All available bumblebees, degree anther cone bruising. higher for bee-pollinated plants compared pollinated mechanically or not significantly different between hand-pollinated plants. Maturation time longer fresh seed count than manually supplemental but did differ mechanically.