Flowering and diversity of pollinator insects in a cacao monoculture system

This research aimed to determine flowering and the diversity of pollinators linked with three breeding substrates in a monoculture system of fine flavor cacao. For the purpose, nine plots of nine trees each were selected, the trial consisted of three treatments corresponding to breeding substrates (plantain pseudostem, cacao pod shells, and cacao leaf litter). Three branches from the central tree within each plot were selected, the total number of flowers, pollinated flowers, and fertilized flowers (fruit set) were counted. In addition; several species of pollinator insects (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were trapped using “pyramid” type traps, they were collected from the three breeding substrates under study. A randomized complete block design with three replicates and a faunistic analysis with the pollinator populations were carried out. There were no significant differences for number of flowers, pollination percentage, and flower set between plots for the three breeding substrates. However; pollination and cocoa flower set was higher in plots with cacao pod shells. While plots with plantain pseudostem showed plenty of pollinator insects from the family Ceratopogonidae.   

• Main Author: Montero Cedeño, Silvia Lorena (author)
• Other Authors: Sánchez, Pedro (author), Solórzano Faubla, Ramón (author), Pinargote Borrero, Antonio (author), Cañarte Bermúdez, Ernesto Gonzalo (author)
• Format: article
• Language: spa
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Theobroma cacao L; Ceratopogonidae; polinizadores; pollinators
• Online Access: https://revistasespam.espam.edu.ec/index.php/Revista_ESPAMCIENCIA/article/view/178