Pollination efficiency of insect pollinators on Aegle marmelos Correa. At Kumarganj, Faizabad

Abstract

In the present research the variety “Narendra Bael 9 (NB 9)” was taken to study the insect pollinator’s abundance and their pollination efficiency at Main Experiment Station (26.47˚N latitude, 82.12˚ E longitude and 113 meters altitude), Horticulture and Apiculture laboratory, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.), India during 2014. The hymenopterans were the major floral visitors comprising of six species from four families viz., Xylocopidae, Apidae, Vespidae and Formicidae, followed by dipterans (One species from one family) viz., Syrphidae, Lepidoptera (three species from two families) viz., Pieridae and Arctiidae. The abundance of Apis dorsata was highest (7.90 bees/spike/5 minutes) followed by syrphid flies, Eupeodes corolae (3.45 visitors/spike/5 minutes) and Apis mellifera (1.20 bees/spike/5 minutes). Based on pollination index (Number of loose pollen grains sticking on the body of visitors × abundance), A. dorsata was found to be the most efficient pollinator of bael flowers followed by Eupeodes corolae and A. mellifera under agro-ecological conditions of Kumarganj, Faizabad (India).