Journal
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
Volume 110, Issue 5, Pages 1973-1979Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/jee/tox184
Keywords
agroecology; cucurbit; economic valuation; fruit set; pollination dependence
Categories
Funding
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, United Kingdom [CP118]
- Natural Environment Research Council United Kingdom [NE/J014893/1]
- NERC [NE/J014893/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Natural Environment Research Council [NE/J014893/1] Funding Source: researchfish
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Courgette Cucurbita pepo L.) production in the United Kingdom is estimated to be worth 6.7 pound million. However, little is known about this crop's requirement for insect-mediated pollination (pollinator dependence) and if pollinator populations in a landscape are able to fulfil its pollination needs (pollination deficit). Consequently, pollination experiments were conducted over 2 yr to explore pollinator dependence and pollination deficit in field-grown courgette in the United Kingdom. Results showed that pollination increased yield by 39% and there was no evidence of pollination limitation on crop yield. This was evidenced by a surprisingly low pollination deficit (of just 3%) and no statistical difference in yield (length grown, circumference, and weight) between open- and hand-pollinated crops. Nonetheless, the high economic value of courgettes means that reducing even the small pollination deficit could still increase profit by similar to 166 pound/ha. Interestingly, 56% of fruit was able to reach marketable size and shape without any pollination. Understanding a crop's requirement for pollinators can aid growers in their decision-making about what varieties and sites should be used. In doing so, they may increase their agricultural resilience and further their economic advantage.
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