Abstract
Guayule (Tarthenium argentatum, Asteraceae) is one of two major plant species grown for natural rubber. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of honey bee (Apis mellifera) pollination and season on seed set and total seed yield/ha. The experiments involved four pollination treatments: plants caged with bees; plants caged without bees; plants open pollinated (uncovered); and plants individually covered. Seeds were harvested monthly July–September 1984, and May–September 1985. Plots with bees produced at least 150% more seeds than plots without bees, and there were no qualitative differences in the seed weights among treatments. Highest seed yield was in May and September. Results indicate that (1) insect pollination in guayule increases seed yield and (2) fewer seeds are produced in the warmest months.
Résumé
Le Guayule (Parthenium argentatum, Asteraceae) est une des deux principales espèces de plantes cultivée pour le caoutchouc naturel. On a fait des études pour déterminer les effets causés par les saisons et par la pollination des abeilles (Apis mellifera) sur la production des graines et le rendement total de graines par hectare. L’expérimentation comprenait quatre formes de pollination: plantes sous receptacle avec des abeilles; plantes sous receptacle sans abeille; plantes avec pollination libre (non-couvertes); et des plantes sous receptacle individuel. On a récolté les graines une fois par mois de juillet à septembre 1984 et de mai à septembre 1985. Les parcelles avec abeilles ont produit un minimum de 150% de graines supplémentaire par rapport aux parcelles sans abeille, et il n’y avait pas de différence qualitative dans le poids des graines parmi les quatre formes d’expérimentation. Le rendement le plus important de graines était en mai et en septembre. Le résultat indique que la pollination des insectes dans le guayule augmente le rendement de graines et que moins de graines sont produites dans les mois les plus chauds.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Bergner, A. D. 1946. Polyploidy and aneuploidy in guayule. U.S.D.A. Techn. Bull. 932:1–46.
Bucks, D. A., R. L. Roth, D. E. Powers, and G. R. Chandra. 1986. Direct seeding for economical guayule field establishment. Pages 59-68in Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Guayule Res. & Developm., Tucson, AZ, 16–19 Oct. 1985.
Esau, K. 1946. Morphology of reproduction in guayule and certain other species ofParthenium. Hilgardia 7:61–120.
Freund, D. E., and B. Furgala. 1982. Effect of pollination by insects on the seed set and yield of ten oilseed sunflower cultivars. Amer. Bee J. 122:648–652.
Gardner, E. J. 1947. Insect pollination in guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray). Agron. J. 39:224–233.
Gerstel, D. U. 1950. Self-incompatibility studies in guayule-II: inheritance. Genetics 35:482–506.
Hawthorn, L. R., G. E. Bohart, and E. H. Toole. 1960. Carrot seed production as affected by insect pollination. Utah Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 422.
Kalashnikov, V. M. 1931. A contribution to the methodics of breeding the guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray). Bull. Appl. Bot. Genet., Pl.-Breed. 24:489–560.
MacKill, O. J., W. R. Coffman, and J. N. Rutger. 1982. Pollen shedding and combining ability for high temperature tolerance in rice. Crop Sci. 22:730–733.
Mamood, A. N., D. T. Ray, and G. D. Waller. 1988. Effects of insect pollination and season on seedling emergence in guayule. Crop Sci. 28:1014–1016.
McGinnies, W. G., and J. L. Mills. 1980. Guayule rubber production, the World War II emergency rubber project. Office of Arid Lands Studies, Univ. Arizona, Tucson.
Thompson, A. E., and D. T. Ray. 1989. Breeding guayule. Pl. Breed. Rev. 6:93–165.
Waller, G. D., B. E. Vaissiere, J. O. Moffet, and J. H. Martin. 1985. Comparison of carpenter bees (Xylocopa varipuncta Patton) (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae) and honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as pollinators of male-sterile cotton in cages. J. Econ. Entomol. 78: 558–561.
Warrag, M. O., and A. E. Hall. 1984. Reproduction response of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) to heat stress. II. Response to night air temperature. Field Crop. Res. 8:17–33.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mamood, A.N., Ray, D.T. & Waller, G.D. Seed set in Guayule (Parthenium argentatum, asteraceae) in relation to insect pollination. Econ Bot 44, 440–444 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859777
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02859777