INSECT POLLINATORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE YIELD OF LUPIN, Lupinus termis

Ebadah,, I. M. A.; Khater, A. M.; Mansour, H. M.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2008.219361

INSECT POLLINATORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE YIELD OF LUPIN, Lupinus termis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ National Research Center Dokki, Giza, Egypt

² Plant Protection Res. Institute, Agric. Res. Center Dokki, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/jppp.2008.219361

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to identify insect visitors of the lupin (Lupinus termis) and their effect on the yield during flowering periods of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 seasons at Shalakan district, Kalubia Governorate.
Obtained results indicated that 17 pollinator species belong to five orders; Hemiptera (2 species), Lepidoptera (2 species), Coleoptera (3 species), Diptera (6 species) and Hymenoptera (4 species). Honeybees, Apis mellifera L. proved to be the main numerous pollinator, constituting 14.66, 18.59% of the total collected insects in the two seasons, respectively. The highest occurrence of A. mellifera was detected around mid season and at 12-2 p.m. Prevailing air temperature and R.H. % affected moderately the occurrence of insect pollinators.
The presence of insect pollinators during flowering period of lupin significantly increased the main yield parameters such as number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, number of seeds/plant and weight of seeds/plant. On the contrary, insect exclusion caused the inverse. As a result, the seed yield/feddan attained 1631.95, 868.8 and 1366.87 kg for open pallination, insect exclusion and honeybee pollination, respectively.

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