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Proceedings
ETHOLOGICAL BEHAVIORS OF SOLITARY POLLINATOR AND THEIR EFFECT
ON BERSEEM AND ALFALFA SEED YIELD AND SEED YIELD COMPONENTS IN
MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT
P. Martiniello1, A. Iannucci1, A. Felicioli2 and M. Pinzauti2
1Istituto Sperimentale Colture Foraggere, SOP di Foggia, Italy;
2Sezione di Entomologia Agraria, Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa Specie
legnose, Università di Pisa, Italy
Industry seed yield production of allogamous legumes, particularly in Mediterranean environments, depends to the agronomic techniques, weather condition and insect activity occurred during the period of blooming. Certified forage seed legumes availability in the Italian market is very poor. Farmer demands was satisfied by acquiring from abroad the seed for the cultivation. Two solitary pollinators: leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata Fab.) and mason bee (Osmia cornuta Latr.) are used for study the effect on pollination in two firms allogamous forage crop species. Results evidenced that the ethology of these two pollinators are quite influenced by environmental condition occurred during the period of pollination. Seed production of cultivar of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., cv. Equipe) and berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L., cv. Sacromonte) has been influenced by pollinators and seed for fructiferous organ was the yield component more influenced. Furthermore, the behaviors and effectiveness of insects activity on seed yield and yield component depend to the distance from nest.
Keywords: Alfalfa; berseem; leafcutter bee; mason bee; seed production; insect ethology and Mediterranean environment.