Experimental evidence for stronger cacao yield limitation by pollination than by plant resources

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Experimental evidence for stronger cacao yield limitation by pollination than by plant resources. / Groeneveld, Janna Henrike; Tscharntke, Teja; Moser, Gerald et al.
In: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Vol. 12, No. 3, 08.2010, p. 183-191.

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Groeneveld JH, Tscharntke T, Moser G, Clough Y. Experimental evidence for stronger cacao yield limitation by pollination than by plant resources. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 2010 Aug;12(3):183-191. doi: 10.1016/j.ppees.2010.02.005

Bibtex

@article{e9d0eb71ebf5445cb70f654ec2e8f3db,
title = "Experimental evidence for stronger cacao yield limitation by pollination than by plant resources",
abstract = "Both pollination and resource limitation may cause low fruit:flower ratios in plants, but pollen and resource limitation have never been contrasted in commercially important crop species. Here we experimentally investigated the relative effect of pollen limitation and resource limitation in Theobroma cacao. In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, we applied different relative levels of hand pollination (10%, 40%, 70% and 100% of available flowers up to 2. m height) to mature cacao trees in two separate experiments encompassing (1) different light (shade roofs) and nitrogen (fertilizer application) treatments, and (2) water availability (throughfall displacement) treatments. None of the resource availability treatments had a significant effect, while number of mature pods and yield increased non-linearly with pollination intensity up to 200% of current yield levels. The largest benefits were reached by increasing pollination from 10% to 40%, with non-significant increases beyond that level. Despite an increase of fruit abortion with pollination intensity, T. cacao yield is determined, at least on the short term, by the number of flowers pollinated. This suggests pollination deficit in crops can be very large and that a better knowledge of pollen and resource limitation to devise adequate pollinator management strategies may be critical for increasing production.",
keywords = "Ecosystems Research, Agroforestry , Drought , Fruit:flower ratio , Nitrogen , Theobroma cacao , Water availability",
author = "Groeneveld, {Janna Henrike} and Teja Tscharntke and Gerald Moser and Yann Clough",
year = "2010",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1016/j.ppees.2010.02.005",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
pages = "183--191",
journal = "Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics",
issn = "1619-0437",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experimental evidence for stronger cacao yield limitation by pollination than by plant resources

AU - Groeneveld, Janna Henrike

AU - Tscharntke, Teja

AU - Moser, Gerald

AU - Clough, Yann

PY - 2010/8

Y1 - 2010/8

N2 - Both pollination and resource limitation may cause low fruit:flower ratios in plants, but pollen and resource limitation have never been contrasted in commercially important crop species. Here we experimentally investigated the relative effect of pollen limitation and resource limitation in Theobroma cacao. In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, we applied different relative levels of hand pollination (10%, 40%, 70% and 100% of available flowers up to 2. m height) to mature cacao trees in two separate experiments encompassing (1) different light (shade roofs) and nitrogen (fertilizer application) treatments, and (2) water availability (throughfall displacement) treatments. None of the resource availability treatments had a significant effect, while number of mature pods and yield increased non-linearly with pollination intensity up to 200% of current yield levels. The largest benefits were reached by increasing pollination from 10% to 40%, with non-significant increases beyond that level. Despite an increase of fruit abortion with pollination intensity, T. cacao yield is determined, at least on the short term, by the number of flowers pollinated. This suggests pollination deficit in crops can be very large and that a better knowledge of pollen and resource limitation to devise adequate pollinator management strategies may be critical for increasing production.

AB - Both pollination and resource limitation may cause low fruit:flower ratios in plants, but pollen and resource limitation have never been contrasted in commercially important crop species. Here we experimentally investigated the relative effect of pollen limitation and resource limitation in Theobroma cacao. In Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, we applied different relative levels of hand pollination (10%, 40%, 70% and 100% of available flowers up to 2. m height) to mature cacao trees in two separate experiments encompassing (1) different light (shade roofs) and nitrogen (fertilizer application) treatments, and (2) water availability (throughfall displacement) treatments. None of the resource availability treatments had a significant effect, while number of mature pods and yield increased non-linearly with pollination intensity up to 200% of current yield levels. The largest benefits were reached by increasing pollination from 10% to 40%, with non-significant increases beyond that level. Despite an increase of fruit abortion with pollination intensity, T. cacao yield is determined, at least on the short term, by the number of flowers pollinated. This suggests pollination deficit in crops can be very large and that a better knowledge of pollen and resource limitation to devise adequate pollinator management strategies may be critical for increasing production.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Agroforestry

KW - Drought

KW - Fruit:flower ratio

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Theobroma cacao

KW - Water availability

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955518046&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ppees.2010.02.005

DO - 10.1016/j.ppees.2010.02.005

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 12

SP - 183

EP - 191

JO - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

JF - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

SN - 1619-0437

IS - 3

ER -