Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Manoj Thakur, Devinder Sharma, Bhumika Kapoor, Marvi Khajuria and Virandra Yadav

Abstract:
Pollination has been considered as a crucial process to ecosystem functioning through the facilitation of both plant and animal diversity. Pollinators (Apis and Non Apis) play an important role in the ecosystem. The field experiment study was conducted to catalogue the diversity of pollinators frequenting sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and their influence on seed yield in Jammu region of J&K (UT). Insect flower visitors were recorded, seed yield from control and open pollinated plots was evaluated. During the study period, both Apis, non-Apis pollinators were observed visiting sunflower heads. The insect pollinators belonging to 24 insect species were observed visiting sunflower floral heads. These included sixteen Hymenopteran species, two Lepidopteran species, four Dipteran species, and two Coleopteran species. Among Apis species, the majority of abundance was of A. mellifera (32%), followed by Apis dorsita (23%), A. cerana (20%) and A. florea (6%). Among all the families recorded (excluding Apidae) on sunflowers, Syrphidae (7%), Halictidae (1%), Megachilidae (1%), Formicidae (1%), Vespidae (1%), Danaidae (1%), Pieridae (1%) and Coccinellidae (1%) account for 14% of insect visitors density. Plots where insect visitors had access produced on average 53% more seed yield compared with plots where insect visitors were excluded.