Abstract
The use of stingless bees in greenhouses has provided tremendous benefits to diverse crops in terms of productivity and fruit quality. However, knowledge about management techniques in these environments is still scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the adaptation of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, 1836 in a greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. for its potential use in pollinating this crop. Six nests of M. quadrifasciata were introduced in a greenhouse in Araguari, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The development of colonies inside the greenhouse was investigated and the foraging behaviour of the workers was assessed before introduction into the greenhouse and again after the nests had been removed. The vital activities of colony maintenance were performed unevenly throughout the day inside and outside the greenhouse, but with confinement the daily period of foraging decreased and bees started collecting pollen from the flowers after approximately six months. The difficulty in orienting to and identifying flowers by the workers was attributed to sunlight diffusion and blockage of ultraviolet radiation caused by the cover on the greenhouse. Structural changes in the greenhouses, as well as improvements in management techniques, are required for better utilization of stingless bees for pollination of plant species grown in greenhouses.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Colony maintenance activities of Melipona quadrifasciata were unevenly distributed over the day inside and outside the greenhouse.
- Taxon
- Lycopersicon esculentum
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Interactor
- Melipona quadrifasciata
Melipona quadrifasciatae1pollinator - Outcome
- vital activities of colony maintenancee2
- Qualifier
- unevenly throughout the daye2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“evaluate the adaptation of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, 1836 in a greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. for its potential use in pollinating this crop”
e2“The vital activities of colony maintenance were performed unevenly throughout the day inside and outside the greenhouse”
t0“a Greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Confinement in the greenhouse decreased the daily foraging period of Melipona quadrifasciata.
- Taxon
- Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- confinemente3
- Interactor
- Melipona quadrifasciataMelipona quadrifasciatae1pollinator
- Outcome
- daily period of foraginge3
- Direction
- decreasede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“evaluate the adaptation of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, 1836 in a greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. for its potential use in pollinating this crop”
e3“with confinement the daily period of foraging decreased”
t0“a Greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Melipona quadrifasciata workers started collecting pollen from the flowers after about six months in the greenhouse.
- Taxon
- Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- Melipona quadrifasciataMelipona quadrifasciatae1pollinator
- Outcome
- collecting pollen from the flowerse4
- Value
- after approximately six monthse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“evaluate the adaptation of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, 1836 in a greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. for its potential use in pollinating this crop”
e4“bees started collecting pollen from the flowers after approximately six months”
t0“a Greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Difficulty of workers in orienting to and identifying flowers was attributed to greenhouse cover effects on light.
- Taxon
- Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- Melipona quadrifasciataMelipona quadrifasciatae1pollinator
- Outcome
- orienting to and identifying flowerse5
- Qualifier
- sunlight diffusion and blockage of ultraviolet radiation caused by the cover on the greenhousee5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“evaluate the adaptation of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier, 1836 in a greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. for its potential use in pollinating this crop”
e5“The difficulty in orienting to and identifying flowers by the workers was attributed to sunlight diffusion and blockage of ultraviolet radiation caused by the cover on the greenhouse”
t0“a Greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Structural changes in greenhouses and better management are required for better use of stingless bees for pollination.
- Taxon
- Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- stingless beesMeliponinie6pollinator
- Outcome
- utilization of stingless beese6
- Qualifier
- Structural changes in the greenhouses, as well as improvements in management techniquese6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Structural changes in the greenhouses, as well as improvements in management techniques, are required for better utilization of stingless bees for pollination”
t0“a Greenhouse of Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae)”