Characterization of Pollinators Associated with Cocoa Cultivation and Their Relationship with Natural Effective Pollination
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Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute - MDPI
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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) relies on insect pollination for fruit production, making
it essential to understand the pollinators involved. This study aimed to identify the insects
associated with cocoa pollination and their relationship with effective natural pollination in
a cocoa agroforestry system in Yopal, Colombia. Indirect (wood traps) and direct (manual
aspiration in flowers) methods were used to capture pollinators. The number of captured
insects was correlated with the percentage of pollinated, fertilized, aborted, and transitioning
flowers using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Additionally, the natural transfer of pollen was
assessed by evaluating the coverage of near-opening flowers and staining pollen grains on
the stigma under natural conditions. This study identified Diptera from the Ceratopogonidae
family, specifically the genera Forcipomyia and Dasyhelea, as key pollinators. The findings
highlight the presence of these pollinators in the Yopal cocoa agroforestry system and suggest
the need for further pollinator capture and identification efforts on local farms. A positive
correlation was found between the number of pollinating insects and the percentage of
fertilized flowers, emphasizing the crucial role of these insects in cocoa pollination and the
importance of promoting their presence to optimize fruit production.
Universidad de La Salle
Cacao
Theobroma cacao
Universidad de La Salle
Cacao
Theobroma cacao
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Cultivo - F01, Theobroma cacao, Polinización, Cultivo, Cacao, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7713, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6073, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1972