Abstract
To evaluate the pollination efficiency of a stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata, individuals originating from tropical and subtropical regions of South America were examined on tomatoes (cv. Momotaro 8) cultivated in a greenhouse in summer and autumn. We compared differences in the rates of foraged flowers, pollen weights foraged from anthers, rates of fruit set of tomatoes, seed number of tomato fruits and yields of tomato fruit weight between M. quadrifasciata and the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris. When the amount of tomato pollen was sufficient, there were no differences in pollination efficiency between the stingless bee and the bumblebee; however, the rates of foraged flowers, the rate of fruit set and the yields were significantly reduced in the stingless bee compared with the bumblebee when fertile tomato pollen decreased markedly during the hottest period of the summer. During this period, the rate of flowers foraged by bumblebees did not decrease, but the rates of fruit set, the seed number and the yields of tomato fruits decreased significantly in comparison with the other periods. It is known that tomato pollen production is inhibited at high temperatures; thus, we consider that the high temperatures in the greenhouse (average daily temperature higher than 28C) caused the extreme decrease in pollen production. These results indicate that M. quadrifasciata can be used as a suitable pollinator of tomatoes if sufficient amounts of fertile pollen are provided.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
With sufficient tomato pollen, pollination efficiency did not differ between Melipona quadrifasciata and Bombus terrestris.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Interactor
- stingless bee
Scaptotrigona posticae0pollinator - Second interactor
- bumblebeee0pollinator
- Outcome
- pollination efficiencye0
- Direction
- no differencese0
- Qualifier
- When the amount of tomato pollen was sufficiente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the amount of tomato pollen was sufficient, there were no differences in pollination efficiency between the stingless bee and the bumblebee”
Claim · model-written summary
During the hottest summer period, Melipona quadrifasciata foraged fewer flowers than Bombus terrestris.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- stingless beeScaptotrigona posticae0pollinator
- Outcome
- rates of foraged flowerse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- during the hottest period of the summere0
- Comparator
- bumblebeee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the rates of foraged flowers, the rate of fruit set and the yields were significantly reduced in the stingless bee compared with the bumblebee when fertile tomato pollen decreased markedly during the hottest period of the summer”
Claim · model-written summary
During the hottest summer period, tomato fruit set with the stingless bee was lower than with the bumblebee.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- stingless beeScaptotrigona posticae0pollinator
- Outcome
- rate of fruit sete0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- bumblebeee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the rates of foraged flowers, the rate of fruit set and the yields were significantly reduced in the stingless bee compared with the bumblebee when fertile tomato pollen decreased markedly during the hottest period of the summer”
Claim · model-written summary
During the hottest summer period, tomato yields with the stingless bee were lower than with the bumblebee.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- stingless beeScaptotrigona posticae0pollinator
- Outcome
- yieldse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- bumblebeee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the rates of foraged flowers, the rate of fruit set and the yields were significantly reduced in the stingless bee compared with the bumblebee when fertile tomato pollen decreased markedly during the hottest period of the summer”
Claim · model-written summary
Bumblebee flower foraging did not decrease during the hottest period.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- rate of flowers foragede0
- Direction
- did not decreasee0
BombusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“During this period, the rate of flowers foraged by bumblebees did not decrease”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
During the hottest period, tomato fruit set, seed number, and yield under bumblebee pollination decreased relative to other periods.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- rates of fruit set, the seed number and the yields of tomato fruitse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Comparator
- the other periodse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the rate of flowers foraged by bumblebees did not decrease, but the rates of fruit set, the seed number and the yields of tomato fruits decreased significantly in comparison with the other periods”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that greenhouse heat above 28C caused the extreme decrease in tomato pollen production.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- high temperaturese0
- Outcome
- pollen productione0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- higher than 28Ce0
- Setting
- greenhousee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“we consider that the high temperatures in the greenhouse (average daily temperature higher than 28C) caused the extreme decrease in pollen production”
t0“tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Melipona quadrifasciata is considered a suitable tomato pollinator when sufficient fertile pollen is available.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- M. quadrifasciata
Melipona quadrifasciatae0pollinator - Outcome
- suitable pollinatore0
- Qualifier
- if sufficient amounts of fertile pollen are providede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“M. quadrifasciata can be used as a suitable pollinator of tomatoes if sufficient amounts of fertile pollen are provided”