Effect of Bumble Bee Pollination on Quality and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) Grown Under Protected Conditions

Abstract

The effectiveness of the bumble bee Bombus haemorrhoidalis Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was evaluated and compared to non-bumble bee pollinated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) crop grown under protected conditions. Some qualitative and quantitative characteristics such as day to first fruit harvest, number of fruits, fruit size, in treatments with or without bumble bee colony were recorded. Results based on measurements of mentioned parameters showed highly significant difference. Laboratory reared bumble bee colony utilized for pollination of tomato cultivar (Solan Lalima) grown inside polyhouse resulted in increased number of fruits per cluster (6.76 fruits/cluster), number of fruits (75.80 fruits/plant), fruit length (5.16cm), fruit breadth (5.75cm), fruit weight (93.87g), fruit yield (12.7kg/m2) and healthy fruits (90.33%). Reduction in number of misshapen fruits (9.8%), number of seeds (102.95 seeds/fruit), 1000 seed weight (6.32gm) over control crop was also observed in bumble bee pollinated crop. Bumble bee pollination accounted per cent increase in number of fruits per plant, healthy fruits, fruit length, fruit breadth, fruit weight, fruit yield, number of seeds and 1000 seed weight by 38.41, 21.94, 46.45, 50.82, 57.66, 64.79, 78.54 and 78.80 per cent, respectively.