Fragrance addition improves visitation by honeybees and fruit quality in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

MEROI ARCERITO F.R.; DE FEUDIS LEONARDO; AMARILLA L; GALETTO LEONARDO; MITTON G.; FERNÁNDEZ N.; SZAWARSKI N.; CORTI C.; OLIVERA E.; IGLESIAS A.; GENDE L.; DAMIANI N.; EGUARAS M.; MAGGI M.

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: LOndres; Año: 2021

0022-5142

BACKGROUND:Kiwifruit is an important horticulturalcrop all over the world with an important development in Argentina. Thisdioecious crop presents a short blooming period with nectarless flowers, andits fruit production depends on cross-pollination. Here, we tested whetherkiwifruit quality increases by using honeybees exposed to female flowerstreated with an artificial fragrance. The three experimental treatments were:A, sprinkled female flowers with 1:1 sugar syrup + Lavandula hybrida extract solution (a new attractant substancespecially developed for this study named Lavandin Grosso); B, sprinkled femaleflowers with 1:1 water + sugar syrup (female flowers with additional sugarsyrup reward), C (control; female flowers exposed to honeybees). RESULTS: Results showed a higher number of visits of honeybeesto the female flowers sprinkled with the attractant substance Lavandin Grosso,as well as higher fruit quality (weight, number of seeds, regularity in fruitsize). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential offragrance-treated flowers to improve yield production in kiwifruit.