Pollination in avocado flowers (<em>Persea Americana</em> Mill.)

Abstract

The experiment aimed to study the frequency, nectar and/or pollen and hoarding time of bees in avocado flowers and verify the effect of their visits on fruit production. Six inflorescences (three covered and three uncovered) with two replications were marked to evaluate the effect of cross pollination on fruition percentage. The honey bees showed two peaks of hoarding (by 11 to 12 a.m. and 5 p.m.) following the flowers opening of different avocado groups (groups A and B), as much for nectar as for pollen. However, the honey bees presented a longer peak in the morning than in the afternoon for nectar, in 1997, and changed in 1998. There was no difference between the periods, for pollen. The fruition percentage was significantly different between the covered treatments (produced less) and uncovered ones (produced more). The crop reduced 81.25% without pollinators