Comparative Blueberry Pollination Efficacy of Bombus Terrestris and Two Apis Species in Greenhouses

Due to the weak self-pollination of blueberries, pollinators are essential in greenhouse blueberry production. In this study, we examined foraging activity and pollen deposition after the flowers were visited by three pollinators (Bombus terrestris Linnaeus, Apis mellifera Linnaeus and Apis cerana Fabricius) in "Bluesouth (M7)" plants grown in greenhouses. Single visit duration of A. mellifera (18.55 +/- 0.44 s) was significantly longer than those of A. cerana (12.66 +/- 0.17 s) and B. terrestris (9.31 +/- 0.41 s). Evaluating pollen deposition on stigmas is an important method for comparing pollination efficiency. We found that B. terrestris deposits more pollen grains than A. cerana and A. mellifera on blueberry stigmas, both during a single visit and during a whole day of open pollination. Based on these findings, we concluded that B. terrestris is the most effective pollinator for "Bluesouth (M7)" blueberry grown in greenhouses in Northern China.