Enhancing Strawberry Productivity through Bee Pollination

Abstract

Bees play a vital role in strawberry pollination, for fruit quality and increased productivity. Greenhouse experiments were conducted at the National Beekeeping Institute, in collaboration with EU-AU Sponsored ICIPE Bee Health Project. Using honeybee pollinators increased super quality fruits (84% total). Harvested industry fruits were absent in the open field plants, outside the greenhouse, with multi-pollinators. These, however, greatly reduced in the harvested fruits, inside the greenhouse (4.3% total), with the honeybee as the sole pollinator, demonstrating the superiority of the latter in enhancing strawberry productivity through pollination.