Augmenting pear yield through apis mellifera pollination

Punjab Beauty, a strain of semi-soft pear, is a shy bearer. Its low production can be overcome with adequate pollination. The studies carried out at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana revealed that the foraging intensity of Apis mellifera L. increased with the progression of the day with peak at 1300 hr. Flowering continued for three weeks with maximum foraging intensity of A mellifera during second week. One colony of A. mellifera placed at the edge of the orchard led to higher proportion of this pollinator (mean >70%) at 6 m distance than at 60 m (mean <50%). The foraging intensities at 6 and 18 m distances were statistically at par with each other. The fruit setting and fruit weight were statistically at par up to 30 m distance. On the basis of this study, it is recommended to use 3.5 colonies/ha for effective pollination of semisoft pear cv. Punjab Beauty.