Hand pollination
Encyclopedia
Hand pollination is a technique used when natural, or open pollination
is insufficient or undesirable. The most common techniques are for crops such as cucurbit
s, which may exhibit poor pollination by fruit
abortion, fruit deformity or poor maturation. Hand-pollination is an option only on a small scale, but is a common technique by gardeners that transfer pollen with an artist brush or cotton swab. Sometimes the corolla is removed from male flower
s and the flower itself is brushed against the stigmas of female flowers.
The principal reasons for hand pollination include a paucity of natural pollinators, avoiding cross-pollination between varieties grown together or, conversely, in the controlled production of hybrids.
Hand-pollination can be the simple act of shaking, with tomatoes and other self-fertile flowers. In general, tomatoes grown in greenhouses need aid in pollination, which has been done by hand or with an electric vibrator for a long time. Recently, it has been mostly supplanted by cultured bumblebee
s.
When pollination is needed on a large scale, such as for field crops, orchards, or commercial seed production, honeybees or other pollinators are cultured and provided for pollination management
.
The primary reason for hand-pollination is lack of pollinator
s, which may be due to the act of moving crops from home areas (as in vanilla
beans) without also taking the natural pollinator. Pollinator decline
or the concentrated pollination needs of monoculture
may also be factors in pollination shortage.
Another reason for hand-pollination is in order to control the parents of the seed to be produced. For example, all F1 hybrid
s are the result of pollinating one specific variety with another specific variety, in order to produce a uniform crop.
For pest prevention with some high-value crops, row covers of mesh are used to prevent pest insects from access to the plants. However, this may necessitate hand-pollination when bloom starts.
Hand-pollination is used with date palm
s to avoid wasting a lot of space and energy growing sufficient male plants for adequate natural pollination.
Variable techniques for hand-pollination have arisen for many specialty crops.
Pears grown in Hanyuan County
, of China have been hand-pollinated since regional bees were wiped out by pesticides in the 1980s. If human were to replace bees as pollinators in the United States, the annual cost is estimated at $90,000,000.
Open pollination
Open pollination is pollination by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms, and contrasts with cleistogamy, closed pollination, which is one of the many types of self pollination...
is insufficient or undesirable. The most common techniques are for crops such as cucurbit
Cucurbitaceae
The plant family Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons...
s, which may exhibit poor pollination by fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
abortion, fruit deformity or poor maturation. Hand-pollination is an option only on a small scale, but is a common technique by gardeners that transfer pollen with an artist brush or cotton swab. Sometimes the corolla is removed from male flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and the flower itself is brushed against the stigmas of female flowers.
The principal reasons for hand pollination include a paucity of natural pollinators, avoiding cross-pollination between varieties grown together or, conversely, in the controlled production of hybrids.
Hand-pollination can be the simple act of shaking, with tomatoes and other self-fertile flowers. In general, tomatoes grown in greenhouses need aid in pollination, which has been done by hand or with an electric vibrator for a long time. Recently, it has been mostly supplanted by cultured bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
s.
When pollination is needed on a large scale, such as for field crops, orchards, or commercial seed production, honeybees or other pollinators are cultured and provided for pollination management
Pollination management
Pollination Management is the label for horticultural practices that accomplish or enhance pollination of a crop, to improve yield or quality, by understanding of the particular crop's pollination needs, and by knowledgeable management of pollenizers, pollinators, and pollination...
.
The primary reason for hand-pollination is lack of pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s, which may be due to the act of moving crops from home areas (as in vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
beans) without also taking the natural pollinator. Pollinator decline
Pollinator decline
The term pollinator decline refers to the reduction in abundance of pollinators in many ecosystems worldwide during the end of the twentieth century....
or the concentrated pollination needs of monoculture
Monoculture
Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area. It is also known as a way of farming practice of growing large stands of a single species. It is widely used in modern industrial agriculture and its implementation has allowed for large harvests from...
may also be factors in pollination shortage.
Another reason for hand-pollination is in order to control the parents of the seed to be produced. For example, all F1 hybrid
F1 hybrid
F1 hybrid is a term used in genetics and selective breeding. F1 stands for Filial 1, the first filial generation seeds/plants or animal offspring resulting from a cross mating of distinctly different parental types....
s are the result of pollinating one specific variety with another specific variety, in order to produce a uniform crop.
For pest prevention with some high-value crops, row covers of mesh are used to prevent pest insects from access to the plants. However, this may necessitate hand-pollination when bloom starts.
Hand-pollination is used with date palm
Date Palm
The date palm is a palm in the genus Phoenix, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around the Persian Gulf. It is a medium-sized plant, 15–25 m tall, growing singly or forming a clump with...
s to avoid wasting a lot of space and energy growing sufficient male plants for adequate natural pollination.
Variable techniques for hand-pollination have arisen for many specialty crops.
Pears grown in Hanyuan County
Hanyuan County
Hanyuan County is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Ya'an city....
, of China have been hand-pollinated since regional bees were wiped out by pesticides in the 1980s. If human were to replace bees as pollinators in the United States, the annual cost is estimated at $90,000,000.