The effect of mode of
pollination on Allium species with observation on insects as pollinators
Author(s)
Jitender Kumar, R. C. Mishra and J. K. Gupta
Abstract
At two sites in Himachal Pradesh, India, seed set, seed
weight and seed germination were compared for 3 Allium species which
were open-pollinated, enclosed in nylon cages or covered with cloth bags. Seed
set and germination were significantly higher in open-pollinated than in caged
umbels, but there was no significant difference between treatments for mean
weight of 100 seeds. The Indian honeybee, Apis cerana indica, was the most
frequent insect visitor. Of the three onion species, Allium cepa was
preferred by insect visitors over Allium fistulosum and Allium cepa
fistulosum. Apis dorsata foraged exclusively for nectar, but although most Apis
cerana collected nectar, a small percentage collected both nectar and
pollen. The amounts of pollen adhering to the bodies of foraging insects varied
greatly, honeybees carrying significantly larger amounts than all other insect species
except Eristalis tenax.
