Philippine E-Journals

Insect visitors of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Black plum (Syzygium cumini) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Merlito D Tangalin | Jaime Dangle | Rolyne Mae C Pajarillo | Mishima P Soliba

Discipline: Food and Beverage Production

 

Abstract:

The honeybees are labelled as the champion pollinators. Through their pollination services, the quality of seed set, forage crops, and fruit yield improves. Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the number and weight of harvested fruits of the three (3) tropical fruit-bearing trees (rambutan, black plum, cashew). Three (3) fully grown rambutan, black plum, and cashew trees approximately 10 years old were selected. The t-Test was employed using 20 samples per treatment (open pollinated flowers, T1 in three (3) replications wherein twenty (20) panicle samples were selected) to gather the needed data. During the onset of blooming, one (1) standard bee colonies major pollinator aside from the other insects in the area was placed within the vicinity of the plantation crops. Results of the study on the pollination of insect visitors on the experimental fruit trees showed significant differences between the open pollinated flowers (T1) and enclosed treatments (T2). In terms of harvested, percentage and weight of developed fruits of rambutan, black plum and cashew, results revealed that trees introduced with honeybee as pollinators significantly produced more fruits and heavier developed fruits than those in enclosed flowers (T2).