Protocol for using pollinators in hybrid seed production : An outline for improving pollinator effectiveness

Pollination in hybrid vegetable seed production is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of the male fertile flowers to the stigma of the male sterile (female) flowers. The pollination phase has a significant impact on final seed yield and quality. In many vegetable crops, such as onion ( Allium cepa ), carrot ( Daucus carota ), cabbage ( Brassica oleracea ), cauliflower ( B. oleracea ) and radish ( Raphanus sativus ), pollination is performed mainly by honey bees ( Apis mellifera ). However, although it is the main managed pollinator, there are other wild and managed pollinators that can be of significant commercial value. Pollination quality is expressed as the quantity of pollen moved to the female flower; this depends on the pollinators’ activity and their mobility between the flowers of the two lines