EFFICACY OF STINGLESS BEE LEPIDOTRIGONA TERMINATA AS INSECT POLLINATOR OF F1 HYBRID CUCUMBER
Keywords:
Stingless bee, Lepidotrigona terminata, Insect pollinator, F1 hybrid cucumberAbstract
This research aimed to study the efficacy of stingless bee Lepidotrigona terminata as insect
pollinator of F1 Hybrid cucumber. The experiments were conducted at experimental farm of the Faculty of
Agricultural Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology, Thanyaburi. The experiment was divided into
two parts. The first part, efficacy study of stingless bee as insect pollinator of F1 hybrid cucumber was studied.
Experimental design used was Randomized Block Design with four treatments and three replications which were
opened – pollination, handed – pollination, stingless bee – pollination, and closed – pollination. The results
revealed that cucumber fruit sets were found only in opened – pollination and handed – pollination treatments,
with 9.33 and 12.66 fruits, respectively. While no fruit set was found in another two treatments which were
closed and stingless bee – pollinations. Second, species diversity and numbers of insect pollinators that visited
cucumber flowers during 6.00 a.m. – 18.00 p.m. were determined. As a result, four insect species had visited
cucumber flower and the most abundant visitor was European bees (Apis mellifera) that had visited, both male
and female cucumber flowers at 09.00 a.m.