Fruit tree pollination 320092 222004339 2008-06-27T02:37:44Z Shoefly 142549 /* Citrus */ ===Apple=== [[Apple]]s are self incompatible and must be [[cross pollination|cross pollinated]]. '''[[Pollination management]]''' is an important component of apple culture. Before planting, it is important to arrange for '''[[pollenizer]]s''' - varieties of apple or [[malus|crabapple]] that provide plentiful, viable and compatible [[pollen]]. Orchard blocks may alternate rows of compatible varieties, or may plant crabapple [[tree]]s, or [[grafting|graft]] on [[branch|limb]]s of crabapple. Some varieties produce very little pollen, or the pollen is [[infertility|sterile]], so these are not good pollenizers. Good-quality [[Nursery (horticulture)|nurseries]] have pollenizer compatibility lists. Growers with old orchard blocks of single [[Variety (biology)|varieties]] sometimes provide bouquets of crabapple [[blossom]]s in [[Drum (container)|drums]] or [[bucket|pails]] in the orchard for pollenizers. Home growers with a single tree and no other variety in the [[Neighbourhood|neighborhood]] can do the same on a smaller scale. During the bloom each season, apple growers usually provide '''[[pollinator]]s''' to carry the pollen. [[Honeybee]] [[Beehive (beekeeping)|hives]] are most commonly used, and arrangements may be made with a commercial [[beekeeper]] who supplies hives for a fee. {| class="wikitable sortable" !Common name !number of honey bee <br> hives per acre <br> for optimal pollination |- |Apples (normal size) |1 |- |Apples (semi dwarf) |2 |- |Apples (dwarf) |3 |} [[Megachilidae|Orchard mason bees]] are also used as supplemental pollinators in commercial orchards. Home growers may find these more acceptable in suburban locations because they do not [[Sting (biology)|sting]]. Some wild bees such as [[carpenter bee]]s and other [[solitary bee]]s may help. [[Bumble bee]] queens are sometimes present in orchards, but not usually in enough quantity to be significant pollinators. Symptoms of inadequate pollination are small and misshapen apples, and slowness to [[ripening|ripen]]. The [[seed]]s can be counted to evaluate pollination. Well-pollinated apples are the best quality, and will have seven to ten seeds. Apples with fewer than three seeds will usually not mature and will drop from the trees in the early [[summer]]. Inadequate pollination can result from either a lack of pollinators or pollenizers, or from poor pollinating [[weather]] at bloom time. It generally requires multiple bee visits to deliver sufficient grains of pollen to accomplish complete pollination.Fruit tree pollination ===Pear=== Pears are similar to apples, with the notable exception that pear blossoms are much less attractive to bees, due to lower sugar content than apple or contemporaneous wildflower [[nectar]]. Bees may abandon the pear blossoms to visit dandelions or a nearby apple orchard. There are two possible methods used to compensate. One is [[saturation pollination]], that is to stock so many bees that all area blossoms are worked regardless of the attractiveness to the bees. The other is to delay the movement of the beehives into the orchards until there is about 30 per cent bloom. The bees are moved into the orchard during the night and will usually visit the pear blossoms for a few hours until they discover the richer nectar sources. The recommended number of hives per acre is 1. ===Citrus=== Many [[citrus]] varieties are seedless and are produced [[parthenocarpic]]ally without pollination. Some varieties may be capable of producing fruit either way, having seeds in the segments, if pollinated, and no seeds if not. Citrus that requires pollination may be self compatible, thus [[pollen]] must be moved only a short distance from the [[anther]] to the [[Stigma (botany)|stigma]] by a pollinator. Some citrus, such as [[Meyer Lemon]]s, are popular container plants. When these bloom indoors, they often suffer from blossom drop because no pollinators have access. [[Hand pollination|Hand pollinate]] by a human pollinator is a solution, though it is important to learn whether the variety is self fertile or self incompatible. A few citrus varieties, including some [[tangelo]]s and [[tangerine]]s are self incompatible, and require cross pollination. Pollenizers must be planned when groves are planted. This last group generally requires the addition of managed honeybee hives at bloom time for adequate pollination. {{Unreferenced|date=October 2007}} ''See also [http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_AA092] for more extensive and specific information on citrus pollination.'' [[Category:Pollination management]] [[Category:Beekeeping]]