POLLINATION IN CASHEW

POLLINATION IN CASHEW

Cashew, Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae), is a crop where honey bees could alleviate the problems of pollination and fruit set, although much depends on the local thrip, fly and ant activity, clones with high numbers of hermaphrodite flowers related to genetical or nutritional factors.

The cashew flower produces an abundance of nectar is presumed to be very attractive to bees. Furthermore the flowers open most abundantly between 11 am and 12.30 PM coinciding with the time of peak foraging activity of the bee.

Hives of Apis cerana were brought into cashew, Anacardium occidentale, at flowering time to assist pollination. Assessment of fruit set after panicle and flower counts (Table 22) showed a significant increase in (73%) the number of fruit which set (Table 23) in the presence of hives for the first two-week period. During the second two-week period both the presence of hives and a fungicide, benomyl, did not result in a significant increase in fruit set. Both pollen and honey stores were minimal.

The most important hive observation seemed to be the almost nonexistence of pollen stores in the combs. The rate of pollen foragers coming into the hives were also very slow (10 per minute). Microscopic examination of pollen from their pollen baskets and those from cashew anthers showed that they were different in shape, the cashew pollen being elongated (approximately 61.2 um by 30.6 um) while that from the legs being spherical (approximately 52.1 um diameter). It was concluded that bees did not settle for cashew pollen but probably foraged for other unidentified pollen.