African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6900

Full Length Research Paper

The importance of a single floral visit of Eucara macrognatha and Tetralonia fraterna (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the pollination and the yields of Abelmoschus esculentus in Maroua, Cameroon

Michelson Azo’o Ela1,2*, Madi Ali2, Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo3 and Jean Messi1
  1Laboratory of Zoology, University of YaoundéI, P.O. Box 812, Cameroon. 2Department of Agriculture, Livestock and By-Products, Higher Institute of the Sahel, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 46, Cameroon. 3Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Cameroon.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 17 April 2012
  •  Published: 12 May 2012

Abstract

 

Experiments were made to determine the effects of a bee visit on the pollination and the productivity of okra,Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (Malvaceae). Three treatments were used on 30 randomly-selected plants each. These included Autonomous Self-Pollination (ASP) with flowers from which insects visit, with airborne pollen flow excluded, flowers that received a single bee visit (SBV) of Eucara macrognatha (SBV1) and Tetralonia fraterna (SBV2). All flowers produced fruits with or without insect visits. The two main visitors E. macrognatha and T. fraterna were effective pollinators, and of course their visits increased the proportion of ovules that developed into seeds (pollination rate), which led to longer fruits. The domestication of the two wild bees is recommended to improve the pollination and the productivity of okra in Maroua.

 

Key words: Abelmoschus esculentus, Eucara macrognatha, Tetralonia fraterna, Maroua, Cameroon, pollination rate, effective pollinator.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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