Role of pollinizers and pollinators in fruit crops

1. Presented by: Ali Shah (J-21-M-820)
Major Advisor: Dr. Kiran Kour
Head of the Division: Prof. Parshant Bakshi
MASTER’SSEMINAR

2. ROLE OF
POLLINATORS AND
POLLiNIZERS IN
FRUIT CROPS

3. In fruit crops, pollination is a vital reproductive process that involves the transfer of
pollen from the male reproductive organs (anthers) of a flowering plant to the female
reproductive organs (stigma) of the same or compatible plant species.
This transfer leads to the fertilization of ovules and the formation of viable seeds
within the fruit.
Pollination can occur through various mechanisms, such as wind, water, or the
activities of pollinators like insects, birds, bats, or other animals, which assist in
transferring pollen between flowers.
Successful pollination in fruit crops is essential for healthy fruit development, as it
ensures the initiation and proper growth of fruits, resulting in desirable yield, genetic
diversity, and improved crop quality.
POLLINATION

5. Various pollinating agents:
Anemophily:
Pollination by wind
Entomophily:
Pollination by
Insects.
Ornithophily:
pollination by
birds
Chiropterophily:
Pollination by bats

6. Cross pollination is favoured by certain conditions
Dicliny: plant bears unisexual flowers that possess only one type of sex organ
(male or female) example: mulberry and papaya.
Dichogamy: It refers to maturation of sex organs at different periods of time.
It is further of two types. Protandrous (anther matures before stigma) and
protogynous ( stigma matures before anther). Example: pecanut, avocado.
Heterogamy: In these conditions, the plant bears flowers morphologically different
that is long style and short stamen or short style and long stamen. Example: sapota
litchi.
Herkogamy: In certain flowers, a morphological barrier develops which makes
self-pollination impossible. Example: some grasses like alfa alfa.( not common in
fruit crops)

7. DEFINITION OF POLLINATORS
POLLINATORS :
 Pollinators are essential organisms that aid
in the transfer of pollen from the anthers
to the stigma of flowers, resulting in
fertilization and seed production. This
phenomenon is a fundamental process in
the reproduction of flowering plants.
 Various organisms act as pollinators,
including insects, birds, bats, and even
some mammals and reptiles.

8. DEFINITION OF POLLiNIZERs
 Pollinizers refer to the specific plants that
provide the pollen necessary for the
fertilization of other plants. They are the
sources of pollen that are transferred by
pollinators to the female reproductive organs
of different plant species.
 Pollinizers are often chosen strategically in
agricultural practices to ensure cross
pollination, which leads to improved fruit set
and seed production in crops.
 In orchards, for example, certain fruit tree
varieties are selected as pollinizers to provide
compatible pollen for the fertilization of the
desired fruit-bearing varieties.

9. Insects, particularly bees, are the primary
pollinators of most agricultural crops and wild
plants.
Pollinators represent a key ecosystem service
vital to maintaining both wild plant communities
and agricultural productivity.
Pollination increases food security and
IMPORTANCE OF POLLINATORS

10. 2/3 of the world’s 3000 species of agricultural crops
require insects for pollination.
About 70% of the world’s plants require a pollinator to
produce fruits and seeds of which 35% are crop species.
100 crop species provide 90% of food supplies and
71% are bee pollinated.
And thus, insect pollinators form a critical
part of sustainable agriculture.

11. IMPORTANCE OF POLLINIZERS
Pollinizers are crucial for facilitating cross pollination in plants that
require pollen from a different individual for successful fertilization
They help in the genetic exchange between different individuals
or varieties, promoting plant adaptation and variation.
They enhance fruit yield, set and quality in the crops that rely on
cross pollination.
Pollinizers contribute to genetic diversity and promote a healthy population
of plants ……

12. By attracting and supporting pollinators. pollinizers
contribute to the conservation of these important
organisms.
Proper management and selection of pollinizers can
optimize pollination services and increase crop
productivity.
They play a significant role in the pollination of
economically important crops, ensuring food security
and agricultural productivity.

13. Pollinator Diversity of INDIA
Besides honeybees, others including, Stingless bees, bumble bees, alkali bees, scolids,
andrenids, megachilids, etc. contribute significantly to the pollination of crops.
India is a center of rich diversity for honeybees. Out of 8 Apis spp, 6 are indigenous to India, while A. mellifera is
introduced from the USA.
Sweat bee Bumble bee Digger bee Polyester bee Carpenter bee Mason bee
A. andreniformis A. mellifera A. florea A. cerana A. dorsata A. boroisa

14. POLLINATOR DECLINE : A CAUSE TO WORRY
Pollinators are a key component of global biodiversity, providing vital ecosystem services to crops
and wild plants.
There is clear evidence of recent declines in both wild and domesticated pollinators, and
parallel declines in the plants that rely upon them.
Potential drivers of pollinator loss, include habitat loss and fragmentation,
agrochemicals, pathogens, alien species, and climate change.
Pollinator declines can result in loss of pollination services which have important negative
ecological and economic impacts that could significantly affect the maintenance of wild
plant diversity, wider ecosystem stability, crop production, food security and human welfare.

15. Fruit Crop Pollinators Pollinisers
Apple Honeybees, Bumblebees, solitary flies. Golden delicious, granny smith, red gala, royal gala,
crab apple.
Pear Honeybees, Bumblebees, Mason bees,
Hoverflies
Bartlett (Williams), D'Anjou, Bosc, Comice.
Peach Honeybees, Bumblebees, Mason bees. Redhaven, Elberta, O'Henry.
Mango Bees, Hoover flies, House flies, Butterflies. Alphonso, Tommy Atkins , Kensington pride
Walnut Honeybees, Bumblebees, Mason bees Chandler, Tulameen, Hartley, Serr.
Avocado Bees, Butterflies, moths, birds. Hass, Fuerte, Bacon.
Kiwi Bees, Butterflies, moths. Hayward, Bruno, Matua, Tomuri , Monty.
Apricot Honeybees, Bumblebees, Mason bees,
Hoverflies
Royal Rosa, Goldcot, Bergeron, Blenheim, Harcot,
Tilton.
Plum Honeybees, Bumblebees, solitary flies,
Butterflies.
Santa Rosa, Mariposa, Satsuma, Ruby Queen.

16. Planting plan for pollinisers :
O O O O O O
O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O O O O O O
O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O O O O O O
O X O X O X
O O O O O O
O X O X O X
O O O O O O
O X O X O X
11% Pollinizer plan
(O- Main variety, X- pollinizer variety).
Every third tree in the third row is a pollinizer
25% Pollinizer plan
(O- Main variety, X- pollinizer variety).
Every alternate tree in the alternate row is a
pollinizer
Fundamentals of Horticulture by Parshant Bakshi,
Kiran Kour, Amit Jasrotia

17. O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O O O O O O
O X O O X O
O X O O X O
O X O O X O
O X O O X O
O X O O X O
O X O O X O
15% Pollinizer plan
(O- Main variety, X- pollinizer variety).
Every alternate tree in the third row is a pollinizer.
33% Pollinizer plan
(O- Main variety, X- pollinizer variety).
Every alternate tree in the alternate row is a pollinizer
Fundamentals of Horticulture by Parshant Bakshi,
Kiran Kour Amit Jasrotia

18. Pollinisers varieties
1.Apple (Malus domestica):
Granny Smith: Pollinises
varieties such as Golden
Delicious, Spartan, and Gala.
Golden Delicious: Pollinises
varieties such as Red Delicious,
Granny Smith, and Royal Gala.
Fuji: Pollinises varieties such as
Granny Smith Gala and Red fuji.

19. 2.Pear (Pyrus communis):
Bartlett: Pollinises varieties such
as Kieffer, Moonglow and
Comice.
Anjou: Pollinises varieties such as
Bartlett, Seckel, and Comice.
Bosc: Pollinises varieties such as
Bartlett, Flemish beauty and
Comice.

20. 3.Avocado (Persea americana):
Hass: Pollinises varieties such as
Fuerte, Bacon, and Zutano
Fuerte: Pollinises varieties such as
Hass, Bacon, and Zutano
Bacon: Pollinises varieties such as
Hass, Fuerte, and Zutano

21. 4. Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum):
Bluecrop: Pollinises varieties such as Jersey, Elliott, and Chandler.
Jersey: Pollinises varieties such as Bluecrop, Elliott, and Chandler.
Elliott: Pollinises varieties such as Bluecrop, Jersey, and Chandler.
5. Peach (Prunus persica):
Red haven: Pollinises varieties such as Elberta, Loring, and Cresthaven.
Elberta: Pollinises varieties such as Red haven, Loring, and Cresthaven.
Cresthaven: Pollinises varieties such as Red haven, Elberta, and Loring.
6. Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa):
Hayward: Pollinises varieties such as Tomuri and Matua.
Tomuri: Pollinises varieties such as Hayward and Matua.
Matua: Pollinises varieties such as Hayward and Tomuri.
7. Cherry (Prunus avium):
Bing: Pollinises varieties such as Rainier, Lapins, and Stella
Rainier: Pollinises varieties such as Bing, Lapins, and Stella.
Stella: Self fertile cherry variety but can also be used as a polliniser for other sweet cherry cultivars

22. Challenges facing pollinators and pollinisers
Habitat Loss: Pollinators rely on specific habitats for nesting, foraging, and reproduction. However, widespread habitat
destruction, fragmentation, and urbanization have resulted in the loss of critical habitats, limiting the availability of suitable
resources for pollinators.
Pesticide Use: The widespread use of pesticides, including insecticides and herbicides, in agricultural and urban environments
has had detrimental effects on pollinators. Exposure to these chemicals can disrupt their nervous systems, impair their navigation
and foraging abilities, and even cause mortality.
Climate Change: Rapid changes in climate patterns, such as shifts in temperature, rainfall, and seasonal cycles, can disrupt the
synchrony between flowering plants and their pollinators. This can lead to a mismatch in timing, where pollinators may not be
present when flowers are ready for pollination, resulting in reduced reproductive success for both plants and pollinators
Disease and Parasites: Pollinators are susceptible to various diseases and parasites, including viruses, fungi, mites, and
parasites like Varroa mites affecting honeybees. These pathogens can weaken and decimate pollinator populations, making them
more vulnerable to other stressors.
Invasive Species: The introduction and spread of non-native invasive plant species can outcompete native plants, reducing the
availability of suitable food sources for pollinators. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies and habitat degradation for
pollinators, contributing to population declines.

23. CASE STUDIES

24. CASE STUDY-01
Sharma et. al (2003)

25. Location Pollinizer
proportion
2000 2001
With bee
colony
Without bee
colonies
With bee
colony
Without bee
colonies
Seobagh
Insufficient
Sufficient
25.09
42.11
11.53
25.09
15.83
31.92
8.07
17.93
Larankelo
Insufficient
Sufficient
30.31
33.50
13.53
21.53
25.09
42.11
11.53
25.09
Table 1. Percent fruit set (%) in apple orchards with and without bee colonies having sufficient (>15%) and insufficient
(<15%) pollinizer proportion.
Sharma et. al (2003)

26. Table 3. Increase in apple yield (tonnes/hectare) due to the placement of honeybee colonies in orchards having
sufficient and insufficient pollinizers at Larankelo.
Year with sufficient pollinisers with insufficient pollinisers
With bee
colonies
Without bee
colonies
Per cent
increase
With bee
colonies
Without bee
colonies
Per cent
increase
2000 50.00 24.00 108.30 23.00 14.95 53.80
2001 26.78 19.20 39.50 11.94 9.60 24.40
Sharma et. al (2003)

27. CASE STUDY-02
Jie et. al (2010)

28. Table 4 .Fruit qualities of greenhouse peach pollinated by different bee species
Pollination
mode
Soluble solid
content (%)
VC content
(mg·100 g−1)
Sugar content
(%)
Acid
content
(g·kg−)
Sugar/acid Malformed
fruit rate
(%)
Single fruit
weight
(g)
Artificial
pollination
7.60 3.07 5.51 3.07 18.0 4.74 104.17
A. mellifera
pollination
8.87 3.31 6.33 2.97 21.4 3.27 117.24
B. hypocrite
pollination
8.38 3.29 6.08 3.01 20.3 2.13 124.81
Jie et. al (2010)

29. • Marqués
CASE STUDY- 03
Marques et. al (2019)

30. Table 5 . Fruit set and almond production in the two farms: bb1 and bb2, where B. terrestris was introduced,
and c1 and c2 for the three study years (2015–2017)
Year Plot Fruit set (%) Proportional
increase
Production
(kg/ha)
2015
bb1 25.0 27.6 2,291
c1 19.6 1,337
2016
bb1 24.8 57.0 2,073
c1 15.8 1,064
2017
bb1 27.9 40.2 594
c1 19.9 478
bb2 40.0 33.3 1958
c2 30.1 1430
Marques et. al (2019)

31. Nayak et. al (2019)
CASE STUDY- 04

32. Table 6. Effect of bumble bee on percent fruit set, fruit weight
and fruit size of kiwi.
Treatment Percent fruit set Fruit weight (g) Fruit length
(mm)
Fruit breadth
(mm)
T1 cage with bumble
bee colony
72.31 65.30 57.90 39.66
T2 cage with A.
mellifera colony
74.81 52.15 47.13 33.72
T3 cage with two
bumble bee colony
79.45 68.14 59.56 40.58
T4 control 47.05 24.35 42.08 29.62
T5 Hand pollination 83.20 72.05 63.17 43.37
T6 Open pollination 81.72 42.78 48.73 37.68
CD 7.74 7.30 4.08 3.04
Nayak et. al (2019)

33. CASE STUDY- 05
Bashir et. al (2010)

34. Table 7. Fruit characters in different apple cultivars as affected by pollinizers “ Gala”
Female Fruit length(cm) Fruit diameter(cm) Fruit weight(g) No. of seeds/ plant TSS( 0Brix)
Arlet 5.13 5.72 78.70 6.50 11.33
Crimson gold 5.30 5.87 73.70 7.50 11.06
Elstar 5.52 6.17 83.80 8.66 11.29
Fuji 5.35 5.99 78.80 6.66 11.11
Gala 5.44 6.21 79.10 6.00 11.33
Jonate-1 6.51 7.03 87.10 7.16 11.36
Jonagold 5.93 6.64 75.60 7.00 11.20
Neomi 7.02 6.38 91.50 6.83 11.56
Quinte 5.79 6.41 80.20 6.00 11.13
Red fuji 5.69 6.14 72.90 6.00 11.47
Royal gala 6.19 6.81 83.30 7.33 11.67
Ruspippin 6.66 7.25 88.10 7.00 12.01
Sinta 7.16 7.66 90.80 7.33 11.68
Spartan 5.70 6.36 75.60 6.83 11.61
Spijion 6.77 7.45 89.70 7.00 11.29
Summered 5.96 6.71 76.70 7.33 11.35
mean 6.00 6.55 81.60 6.94 11.40
CD 0.17 0.16 1.30 1.23 0.20
Bashir et. al (2010)

35. Female Fruit length(cm) Fruit diameter(cm) Fruit weight(g) No. of seeds/ plant TSS(0Brix)
Arlet 5.59 6.34 84.30 4.33 11.36
Crimson gold 5.39 6.02 73.10 5.33 11.47
Elstar 5.64 6.24 76.90 4.66 11.54
Fuji 5.13 5.83 66.20 8.33 11.51
Gala 5.16 5.87 72.30 7.33 11.54
Jonate-1 6.29 6.62 88.20 8.50 12.25
Jonagold 5.64 6.19 75.90 9.00 11.15
Neomi 6.76 6.41 91.20 4.66 11.53
Quinte 5.61 5.61 75.80 7.50 11.01
Red fuji 5.43 5.58 75.90 8.66 11.65
Royal gala 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Ruspippin 5.88 6.34 86.40 8.50 11.98
Sinta 5.79 6.15 70.80 7.33 11.76
Spartan 6.49 6.63 83.40 4.66 11.60
Spijion 6.12 6.68 88.80 5.66 11.25
Summered 6.03 6.56 87.90 8.16 11.53
mean 5.43 5.81 74.8 6.41 10.82
CD 0.39 0.17 2.34 0.70 0.36
Table 8. Fruit characters in different apple cultivars as affected by pollinizers “ Royal Gala”
Bashir et. al (2010)

36. Female Fruit length(cm) Fruit diameter(cm) Fruit weight(g) No. of seeds/ plant TSS(0Brix)
Arlet 5.05 6.15 79.20 7.00 11.95
Crimson gold 5.17 5.87 80.20 6.33 11.52
Elstar 5.56 5.82 80.90 8.33 11.56
Fuji 5.18 5.76 79.10 9.16 11.48
Gala 6.12 6.62 86.90 7.50 11.52
Jonate-1 5.23 5.63 78.80 7.00 11.70
Jonagold 5.39 5.90 81.30 6.83 11.35
Neomi 5.76 6.11 85.10 4.33 11.54
Quinte 5.82 6.29 82.90 3.50 11.57
Red fuji 6.06 6.31 86.60 7.33 11.45
Royal gala 6.47 6.49 87.40 5.66 11.64
Ruspippin 6.20 6.46 85.90 5.50 11.94
Sinta 5.42 5.82 81.40 8.16 11.76
Spartan 5.86 6.36 82.70 7.33 11.63
Spijion 6.33 6.84 89.30 6.83 11.37
Summered 6.69 7.51 93.90 6.16 11.40
mean 5.76 6.24 83.80 6.68 11.58
CD 0.43 0.17 4.28 0.85 0.24
Table 9. Fruit characters in different apple cultivars as affected by pollinizers “ Spartan”
Bashir et. al (2010)

37. Case Study- 06
Mumtaz et. al 2022

38. Effect of pollen source on fruit set and fruit retention in Carmen and Abate Fetel pears
Maternal parents
pollen source
Fruit set (%) Fruit retention(%)
Carmen Abate fatel Mean Carmen Abate fatel Mean
William Bartlett 81.33 64.33 72.83 50.79 41.64 46.21
Fertility 78.67 69.33 74.00 47.54 45.31 46.42
Clapp’s Favourite 66.67 60.00 63.33 35.90 33.43 34.66
Chinese Sandy Pear 65.33 56.33 60.83 34.72 30.31 32.51
Max Red Bartlett 80.00 65.33 72.67 48.24 43.99 46.11
Kings Pear 57.33 54.67 56.00 30.31 29.30 29.80
Beurred’Amanalis 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Self-pollination 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Open Pollination 74.66 62.67 68.66 41.02 36.11 38.56
Mean 56.00 48.03 32.06 28.9
Mumtaz et. al 2022

39. Effect of pollen source on fruit drop and days to fruit maturity in Carmen and Abate Fetel pears
Maternal parents
pollen source
Fruit drop (%) Days to fruit maturity (%)
Carmen Abate fatel Mean Carmen Abate fatel Mean
William Bartlett 49.20 58.36 53.78 110.66 143.55 127.10
Fertility 52.45 54.69 53.57 107.21 141.00 124.10
Clapp’s Favourite 64.09 66.57 65.33 106.66 140.33 123.49
Chinese Sandy Pear 65.28 69.68 67.48 107.66 141.33 124.49
Max Red Bartlett 51.75 56.01 53.88 110.66 143.10 126.88
Kings Pear 69.68 70.70 70.19 108.44 142.66 125.55
Beurred’Amanalis 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Self-pollination 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Open Pollination 58.97 63.89 61.43 105.21 145.00 125.10
Mean 45.71 48.87 108.07 142.42
Mumtaz et. al 2022

40. Case study - 07
Sapir et. al (2017)

41. Table 12. Effect of adding bumblebee (BB) hives to honeybee (HB) colonies [+BB treatment]
on the number of seeds per fruit and fruit size. The experiment was conducted in 2014, with
two cultivars in each of three orchards
Orchard site Cultivar Seed no.
+BB -BB
Fruit size(mm)
+BB -BB
Baram Gala
Golden delicious
6.3
9.1
6.2
8.4
68
70
68
69
Elroim Gala
Pink lady
7.2
8.2
4.0
7.6
72
74
69
71
Ortal Gala
Red delicious
7.9
8.1
6.1
6.3
73
74
69
72
Sapir et. al (2017)

42. Table 13. Effect of adding bumblebee (BB) hives to honeybee (HB) colonies [+BB treatment]
on the number of seeds per fruit in ‘Gala’ according to the pollinizer. The experiment was
conducted in 2014 at Ortal Orchard.
Bee treatment Pollinizer Compatibility Seeds no. / fruit
+BB Red delicious
Golden delicious
Full
Semi
7.5
7.0
-BB Red delicious
Granny smith
Full
semi
6.1
5.9
Sapir et. al (2017)

43. Case study - 08
Dimou et. al ( 2008)

44. Table 14. Fruit production from the insect pollinated row and the
control row
Date
Number of marketable
fruit
No of deformed fruit Weight of marketable fruit
Insect
pollinated
row
Control
row
Insect
pollinated
row
Control
row
Insect
pollinated row
Control
row
23/1
30/1
6/2
13/2
20/2
27/2
5/3
13/3
31
58
65
111
103
83
97
73
22
56
47
34
29
46
51
22
16
8
8
5
9
8
9
2
5
21
9
29
12
9
24
25
571
853
728
1567
1218
872
923
416
418
926
503
418
326
503
331
144
total 621 307 65 134 7148 3569
Dimou et. al ( 2008)

45. Case study -09
Minarro et. al (2014)

46. Table 15. Fruit set and fruit weight in the pollination experiments. For fruit
weight, data followed by the same letter are not significantly different.
Treatment Fruit set Fruit weight (g)
N % N Mean
Open
Natural pollination 42 93 34 78.6
Bagged
wind pollination
hand pollination
Apis pollination
Bombus pollination
34
21
43
35
44
90
91
100
15
19
37
34
35.8
72.3
59.4
79.7
Minarro et. al (2014)

47. Case study - 10
Bhat et. al 2020

48. Table 16. Impact of diverse pollinizers on flowering, physical and
yield parameters of Ambri apple
Pollinizers Bloom
Duration
Flower
intensity
Fruit
Set ( %)
Fruit
Drop
(%)
Fruit size(cm) Fruit
weight
Yield /
tree
No. of
seeds/ fruit
Fruit
shape
Length Breadth
Golden
Spur
16.00 150.25 25.3 4.5 69.4 64.2 128.5 30.72 5.8 Long
Conical
Red gold 14.50 123.12 22.25 3.7 65.23 62.5 125.3 26.34 6.4 Long
Conical
G.Del
Reinders
15.20 110.2 19.2 4.3 66.7 61.23 128..43 25.98 6.8 Long
Conical
Manchurian 17.50 145.56 24.20 3.25 62.24 64.78 112.78 20.34 6.5 Round
Golden
Hornet
16.50 157.20 17.6 4.65 60.20 61.57 110.56 24.54 7.0 Round
Floribunda 20.50 172.32 21.25 3.78 58.45 60.27 115.21 21.42 6.9 Round
Snowdrift 16.00 134.56 17.23 4.00 60.54 61.42 109.32 19.25 6.0 Round
Maharaji 17.5 96.76 23.52 3.02 68.67 66.83 123.56 27.76 6.3 Oblong
CD>0.05 1.03 3.21 1.98 0.96 1.43 1.5 3.78 2.78 0.75
Bhat et. al 2020

49. CONCLUSION
Similarly, the pollinizers help in providing adequate amount of pollen grains required for the main crop. So, it is
necessary in some fruit to plant the pollenizer variety in order to get good yield.
It concludes that the pollinators and pollinisers play a very crucial role in our ecosystem, without
them ecological imbalance would occur which would impact all kind of living beings on earth.
Honeybees and Bumblebees play a vital role as pollinators for numerous fruit crops, exhibiting
their exceptional ability to pollinate flowers even in windy and low temperature conditions.
The remarkable impact of these bees on crop yields is attributed to their efficient and ample transfer of pollen grains.
Unfortunately, over the past few decades, there has been a significant decline in the population of bumblebees and
other pollinators worldwide. This decline can be attributed to the use of harmful agrochemicals, the destruction of
natural habitats, and the effects of climate change.

50. THANK YOU