Role of Entomophily and Artificial Pollination in Enhancing Quality and Yield of Seed Onion (Allium cepa L.) in Indian Himalayas

• Published in: Journal of Apicultural Science Vol. 66; no. 2; pp. 133 - 147
• Main Authors: Paschapur, Amit Umesh, Bhat, Sunaullah, Subbanna, Avupati RNS, Choudhary, Ganesh, Hedau, Nirmal Kumar, Mishra, Krishna Kant, Kant, Lakshmi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pulawy Sciendo 01.12.2022; De Gruyter Poland
• Subjects: Allium cepa; apiculture; Apis cerana indica; Artificial pollination; bees; camels; Crop yield; Cross-pollination; entomophily; Flowering; Flowers; foraging activity; Foraging behavior; Gloves; Himalayan region; Indian Himalayas; insect pollination; Insects; L.; Nectar; onion; onion (allium cepa l.); Onions; open pollination; Plant reproduction; Pollen; pollinating insects; Pollination; pollination behaviour; pollinator diversity; Pollinators; rubber; Seed set; seed yield; Statistical analysis; umbels; Vegetables; Himalaya Mountains; Himalayan region
• DOI: 10.2478/jas-2022-0008
• ISSN: 2299-4831; 1643-4439

Onion ( L.) is a highly cross pollinated crop that needs insect pollination (entomophily) for optimum seed set. In the present study, more than 120 insect species were noted to visit onion flowers, out of which fifty-nine species were collected through in-situ sampling technique and identified up to species level. The Indian bee ( ) was the most abundant insect pollinator visiting onion flowers in the study location. The pollination behaviour and foraging activity of were assessed, and the pollen foragers were observed to be swift flyers visiting a significantly higher number of flowers per minute during the peak flowering period and spending less time per flower (3 seconds) to collect nectar from deep seated nectaries of the flowers. The seed yield enhancement assessed through entomophily and artificial pollination methods showed that the open pollinated flowers recorded the highest yield statistically, followed by and pollinated flowers. However in artificial pollination treatments, sponge puff pollinated flowers recorded significantly high seed yield per hectare and percentage seed set per umbel, followed by camel brush, hand gloves (cloth) and hand gloves (rubber). In conclusion, all the cross pollination treatments were statistically significant on the closed pollination treatment concerning to the entire yield parameters calculated.