Lowenstein David M, Minor Emily S
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St. (M/C 066), Chicago, IL 60607.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St. (M/C 066), Chicago, IL 60607. Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2121 West Taylor Street (MC 673), Chicago, IL 60612.
J Econ Entomol. 2015 Jun;108(3):1456-9. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov097. Epub 2015 Apr 29.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a crop with perfect flowers capable of self-pollination. Insect pollination enhances fruit set, but little is known about how pollination success varies by number of visits from bumble bees. To quantify the efficiency of bumble bees at pollinating eggplants, we allowed 1, 2, 6, and 12 bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson) to visit eggplant flowers and compared percentage of flowers that set fruit, fruit weight, and seed set after 3 wk. We compared yield from these visit numbers to eggplant flowers that were left open for unlimited visitation. Eggplant flowers set the most fruit from open-pollination and 12 visits. Larger, seedier fruits were formed in open-pollinated flowers. However, fruit characteristics in the 12 visit treatment were similar to lower visitation frequencies. We confirm B. impatiens as an efficient eggplant pollinator and document the greatest benefit from 12 bumble bee visits and open-pollinated flowers. To maintain effective eggplant pollination, local conditions must be conducive for bumble bee colony establishment and repeated pollen foraging trips.
茄子（Solanum melongena L.）是一种具有完全花、能够自花授粉的作物。昆虫授粉可提高坐果率，但关于授粉成功率如何随熊蜂访花次数而变化，人们了解甚少。为了量化熊蜂对茄子授粉的效率，我们让1只、2只、6只和12只熊蜂（Bombus impatiens Cresson）访问茄子花，并在3周后比较坐果花的百分比、果实重量和种子结实情况。我们将这些访花次数的产量与任由昆虫自由访花的茄子花的产量进行了比较。茄子花通过开放授粉和12次访花坐果最多。开放授粉的花结出的果实更大、种子更多。然而，12次访花处理的果实特征与较低访花频率的情况相似。我们证实熊蜂是一种高效的茄子授粉者，并记录了12次熊蜂访花和开放授粉的花所带来的最大益处。为了维持有效的茄子授粉，当地条件必须有利于熊蜂群落的建立以及重复的花粉采集之旅。
