TY - JOUR

T1 - Pollination of two oil-producing plant species

T2 - Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) double-cropping in Germany

AU - Groeneveld, Janna Henrike

AU - Klein, Alexandra-Maria

N1 - Special Issue: Bioenergy and the conservation of biodiversity

PY - 2014/5

Y1 - 2014/5

N2 - Camelina and pennycress are two annual oil-producing plant species that have recently gained attention as biofuel feedstock crops. Prior to commercial production, information on their breeding and pollination system isessential to ensure sustainable management. We conducted pollination experiments and observed flower visitors in an experimental double-cropping system in southern Germany. We found that common camelina varietieswere mainly self-pollinated and yield of one variety seemed to benefit from insect visitation, whereas pennycress was predominantly wind pollinated. Camelina showed higher overall visitation rates by insects than pennycress.Flies and wild bees visited both crop species, but honey bees visited camelina only. We conclude that both oil crop species produce yield without pollinators but offer foraging resources for different insect taxa at times when few other crops and native plants are flowering.

AB - Camelina and pennycress are two annual oil-producing plant species that have recently gained attention as biofuel feedstock crops. Prior to commercial production, information on their breeding and pollination system isessential to ensure sustainable management. We conducted pollination experiments and observed flower visitors in an experimental double-cropping system in southern Germany. We found that common camelina varietieswere mainly self-pollinated and yield of one variety seemed to benefit from insect visitation, whereas pennycress was predominantly wind pollinated. Camelina showed higher overall visitation rates by insects than pennycress.Flies and wild bees visited both crop species, but honey bees visited camelina only. We conclude that both oil crop species produce yield without pollinators but offer foraging resources for different insect taxa at times when few other crops and native plants are flowering.

KW - Biology

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - biofuels

KW - Brassicaceae

KW - breeding system

KW - ecological sustainability

KW - ecosystem services

KW - honey bees

KW - Wild bees

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898449524&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/8fd3aaa5-8b0e-322f-934b-3ae2c9eb5a11/

U2 - 10.1111/gcbb.12122

DO - 10.1111/gcbb.12122

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 6

SP - 242

EP - 251

JO - GCB Bioenergy

JF - GCB Bioenergy

SN - 1757-1693

IS - 3

ER -