Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Chettalli, Kodagu, Karnataka -571 248, India
Present Address: 1Division of Plant Genetic Resources, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake-560089, Bangalore, India
2Division of Fruit Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake-560089, Bangalore, India
3Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake-560089, Bangalore, India
*E-mail: keelarashiva@iihr.ernet.in
Online published on 29 August, 2013.
Studies were conducted to document and understand the pollinator diversity and foraging behavior of major insect pollinators on rambutan (Nephelium lappacum L., Family: Sapindaceae) during 2008–10 at Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CHES), Chettalli, Kodagu, Karnataka, India. Stingless bee, Trigona iridipennis and Indian honeybee, Apis cerana were the most dominant foragers with a mean visitation of 3.81 and 3.54/panicle/10 minutes. Other species included A. florea, A. dorsata, an unidentified wasp and calliphorid flies. Peak activity of all foragers was recorded between 10.00–11.00 AM. The extent of fruit set in open pollinated panicles was 29.35 fruits/panicle while bagged flowers completely failed to set fruits. The studies established the role of pollinators in rambutan fruit set and hence it is recommended to conserve natural populations or to augment them through placing honeybee colonies to realize maximum fruit set in rambutan.
Bees, fruit set, pollination, rambutan
