Comparing pollen deposition and pollen germination

by Rob Patchett, Gavin Ballantyne and Pat Willmer

Counting the number of pollen grains deposited on a flower stigma after a single visit by an animal – normally an insect - is a method commonly used to compare the performance of pollinators.

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Syrphid fly on a turnip (Brassica rapa) flower.

Here, we investigated whether counting the number of pollen grains deposited by different insect visitors placed them in the same order of pollinator performance compared to counting the number of germinated pollen grains. We chose the turnip as a study plant because it is self-incompatible – self-pollen will not germinate.

Read the whole summary in: English!
Read the scientific publication in JPE.

 

Assessing the risk of stigma clogging in strawberry flowers due to pollinator sharing with oilseed rape

by Lina Herbertsson, Ida Gåvertsson, Björn Klatt, Henrik G. Smith 

Hand pollination of strawberry flowers with dead bees

Strawberry and oilseed rape are two economically important crops, which are pollinated by insects. Because they flower during the same period and attract similar insects, they may impact each other indirectly. We expected that the deposition of oilseed rape pollen on strawberry flowers would prevent strawberry pollen to reach the stigmas, thereby inhibiting pollination.

Read the whole summary in: English or Swedish!
Read the scientific publication in JPE.