Insect Pollination at North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station - Past and Present

摘要

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CONTROLLED INSECT POLLINATION AT NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL PLANT INTRODUCTION STATION: Herb Spencer working in open plots in front of original wood-frame screen cages containing plants and honey bees ca 1965. 1957 — Honey beeswere first used to pollinate cages of carrots, beets, celery, and onion; seed production in cages (consisting of wood frames covered with screen) was compared to that in open-pollinated plots of same accessions (Hoover, 1957). 1970s — 50 to 70 accessions of carrots, onions, parsley, and celery were increased in cages out of total 3,000 to 3,500 accessions grown annually. 1978 — Major improvements in 1.5 m chi 1.5 m chi 6 m (5 ft chi 5 ft chi 20 ft or "small") field cage used for controlled insect pollination including metal cage frame covered with Lumite~R flat screen and development of nucleus honey bee hive box (Ellis et al., 1981). 1982 — Development of 3 m chi 3 m chi 6 m "(10 ft chi 10 ft chi 20 ft or "large") cage constructed of metal frame and fitted Lumite~R screen for pollination of wild-type sunflowers; also initiated use of 50% sugar syrup to feed honey bees retained inside of these large cages as the fitted screen did not allow for shifting bees outside to forage (Collison and Wilson, 1985).