Effects of Shade Cover and Availability of Midge Breeding Sites on Pollinating Midge Populations and Fruit Set in Two Cocoa Farms

Young, Allen M.

doi:10.2307/2402990

Cited by 55 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This implies that cocoa farms should be such managed that rotten plant material would always be available to ensure effective pollination and subsequent high fruit yields. Increased fruit set on nearby trees was also observed when discs of rotten banana stems were added to the ground litter of a shaded cocoa farm [26]. On the contrary, [16] found rotten cocoa pods to be the best substrate with regard to midges species diversity and population.…”

Section: Midges' Population In the Breeding Substrates And Its Effectmentioning

confidence: 95%

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

Adjaloo¹,

Kwaku²,

Banful³

et al. 2013

AJPS

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A comparative study was carried out to determine the most suitable substrate for breeding of midges (Forcipomyia spp.) and the implications for pollination and yield in a typical cocoa production system in the forest ecological zone of Ghana. For the field experiment, the typically available substrates in cocoa farms which were used as the treatments under cocoa trees were: 1) rotten cocoa leaf litter; 2) rotten cocoa pod husks; and 3) rotten banana pseudostem. The untreated cocoa trees served as control. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with three replications. For the laboratory experiment, the design was completely randomized design with four replications. The objective was to determine which substrate best supported breeding of the midges. The rotten banana pseudostem substrate recorded the highest population (7680) of Forcipomyia spp. after 56 days of observation. The cocoa pod husk and cocoa leaf litter recorded populations of 5226 and 1920, respectively. Similar observations were recorded in the level of pollination of the cocoa trees treated with rotten banana pseudostem (95.78%), cocoa pod husks (89.05%) and cocoa leaf litter (68.42%). Application of all substrates to the cocoa tree resulted in a 77% mean reduction in flower abortion as compared to the control. Fruit abortion, on the other hand, was significantly greater in trees treated with rotten banana pseudostem (73.7%) and rotten cocoa pod husks (71.3%) than in trees treated with rotten cocoa leaf litter (54.3%). Application of banana substrate explained 88% of the variation in cherelle production (fruit set) whereas cocoa pod husks and cocoa leaf litter accounted for 71% and 94%, respectively, of the variation in cherelle production. The study concluded that although cocoa leaf litter resulted in average increases in midges population and subsequently not too high levels of pollination, there was a significantly higher number of set fruits retained which implied high cocoa pod yields. Consequently, in accordance with the observed trend cocoa leaf litter should be considered as the most appropriate substrate for midges activity in cocoa for high yields.

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Section: Midges' Population In the Breeding Substrates And Its Effectmentioning

confidence: 95%

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

Adjaloo¹,

Kwaku²,

Banful³

et al. 2013

AJPS

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“…Overly fastidious management of plantations included the removal of rotting vegetation, the substrate in which the pollinating midges undergo larval development (Winder 1977), and yield reductions ensued. By purposely placing appropriate plant material such as banana (Young 1982) or palm trunks (Ismail and Ibrahim 1986), adequate pollinator forces can be encouraged and maintained. The destruction of Brazilian habitat for pollinators of Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) has been even more detrimental to production (Maués 2001).…”

Section: Do Pollination Deficits Exist In Agroecosystems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Economic Impacts of Pollinator Declines: An Approach to Assessing the Consequences

Kevan¹,

Phillips²

2001

178

118

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“…Cocoa trees are managed in agroforestry systems which usually provide resources for their pollinating midges. 27,28 Finally, vanilla is commercially grown only under hand pollination management techniques. 29 Therefore, we propose that there is an interaction between the pollinator-dependence spectrum and management responses.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollinator shortage and global crop yield

Garibaldi

Aizen

Cunningham

et al. 2009

Communicative & Integrative Biology

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A pollinator decline caused by environmental degradation might be compromising the production of pollinator-dependent crops. In a recent article, we compared 45 year series (1961-2006) in yield, production and cultivated area of pollinator-dependent and nondependent crop around the world. If pollinator shortage is occurring globally, we expected a lower annual growth rate in yield for pollinator-dependent than nondependent crops, but a higher growth in cultivated area to compensate the lower yield. We have found little evidence for the first "yield" prediction but strong evidence for the second "area" prediction. Here, we present an additional analysis to show that the first and second predictions are both supported for crops that vary in dependency levels from nondependent to moderate dependence (i.e., up to 65% average yield reduction without pollinators). However, those crops for which animal pollination is essential (i.e., 95% average yield reduction without pollinators) showed higher growth in yield and lower expansion in area than expected in a pollination shortage scenario. We propose that pollination management for highly pollinator-dependent crops, such us renting hives or hand pollination, might have compensated for pollinator limitation of yield.

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Effects of Shade Cover and Availability of Midge Breeding Sites on Pollinating Midge Populations and Fruit Set in Two Cocoa Farms

Cited by 55 publications

References 15 publications

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

The Economic Impacts of Pollinator Declines: An Approach to Assessing the Consequences

Pollinator shortage and global crop yield

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Effects of Shade Cover and Availability of Midge Breeding Sites on Pollinating Midge Populations and Fruit Set in Two Cocoa Farms

Cited by 55 publications

References 15 publications

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, &lt;i&gt;Forcipomyia&lt;/i&gt; spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, &lt;i&gt;Forcipomyia&lt;/i&gt; spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

The Economic Impacts of Pollinator Declines: An Approach to Assessing the Consequences

Pollinator shortage and global crop yield

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System

Evaluation of Breeding Substrates for Cocoa Pollinator, <i>Forcipomyia</i> spp. and Subsequent Implications for Yield in a Tropical Cocoa Production System