STUDY ON INSECT DIVERSITY AND POLLINATION EFFECT ON THE YIELD OF ELEPHANT APPLE
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
Abstract
A study was conducted to find out the insect diversity their pollination effect and
effect of netting on the yield of elephant apple during the period of June to
November 2021 at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University campus, Dhaka.
Performance of insect pollination on the yield of elephant apple were investigated
and the findings were studied. During observation in total six different species (Apis
cerana, Apis dorsata, Xylocopa sp., Vespa sp., Camponotus copressus and Syrphes
sp.) five different families of insects namely apidae, Vespidae, anthophoridae,
formicidae and syrphidae were found under two orders (Hymenoptera and Diptera)
were found as flower visiting insects of elephant apple. Among the different insect
pollinators, Apis dorsata was the predominant species found to visit the elephant
apple flowers during the entire flowering period. The average population of Apis
dorsata was recorded 5.00 insects per flower which represented 47.62% of
population of total insect pollinators visiting elephant apple flowers. The number of
insect pollinator from Apidae were 2, Vespidae-1, Formicidae-1, Syrphidae-1 and
Anthoporidae-1 respectively. The number of insect abundance of these following
species were, Apidae-33.33%, Vespidae-16.67%, Formicidae16.67%, Syrphidae16.67%
and Anthoporidae-16.67% respectively as flower visitors. The ShannonWiener
diversity
index
in
elephant
apple
flower
for
species
was
1.119,
respectively
with
6
species
richness,
where
the
evenness
was
0.695.
For
abundance
of
different
insect
pollinators
on
Elephant
apple
flowers
taken
during
the
flowering
period
from
the
morning
6.00
am
to
7.00
pm
once
a
week
at
following
intervals
6.00-7.00
am,
7.00-9.00
am, 9.00-11.00 am, 11.00- 1.00 pm, 1.00-3.00 pm, 3.00-5.00 pm,the
highest foraging duration was recorded for Apis dorsata 1.4 minute per flower.
Considering without netting and netting condition, the average number of fruit
harvested per branch of elephant apple plant were 7.00 (no.) and 0.00 (no.). Plants
with netting and without netting condition, the total weight of fruit per plant of
elephant apple plant were 464.00 kg and for netting treatment no fruits were
developed and the total yield of elephant apple plant were 92.8 ton per ha. and for
netting treatment no fruits were developed.
Description
A Thesis
Submitted to Department of Entomology,
Faculty of Agriculture.
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University,
Dhaka-
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTERS OF SCIENCE (MS)
IN
ENTOMOLOGY
Keywords
INSECT DIVERSITY, POLLINATION EFFECT, ELEPHANT APPLE