Abstract
Abstract In 2004 and 2006-2008, a study was conducted on the effect of pollinating insects on the fruit, seed set, and development of two cultivars of blue honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea (Sevast.) Pojark.: "Atut" and "Duet". The experiment was carried out in south-eastern Poland, at the Experimental Farm of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland. Flowers accessible to pollinating insects throughout the whole flowering period, set fruit at a very high percentage. The study average was 90.57% for "Duet" and 88.08% for "Atut". During self-pollination under isolation, on the other hand, the percentage of fruit-bearing flowers was low. In the case of "Atut" the average was 9.37%, whereas for "Duet" it was 23.85%. Multiple fruits formed from isolated flowers had a 45-50% lower weight, on average, than those developed from flowers accessible to pollinating insects. The pollination mode was found to have a significant effect on the number of seeds produced in the multiple fruit. Flowers which were isolated to prevent insect foraging did develop multiple fruits, characterized by a significantly lower number of seeds. The recent studies confirm that several cultivars should be planted on honeysuckle acreage. The presence of managed pollinators can increase quantity and improve quality of fruit yield in honeysuckle.
Highlights
IntroductionCaprifoliaceae) has approximately 180 species, including shrubs with climbing or non-climbing stems
The aim of the present study was to determine the degree of fruit set, the weight, and dimensions of multiple fruits as well as the number of seeds, all determined under isolation conditions and with free insect visitation of the flowers of two Lonicera caerulea cultivars: "Atut" and "Duet"
The present study shows that in the absence of pollinating insects, fruit set is very poor in the blue honeysuckle 9.37% for "Atut", and 23.85% for "Duet"
Summary
Caprifoliaceae) has approximately 180 species, including shrubs with climbing or non-climbing stems. A few species, such as Lonicera caerulea L. commonly called blue honeysuckle or blue-berried honeysuckle, produce edible fruits which ripen very early. The systematic position of L. caerulea is complicated, since a lot of cultivars are sometimes classified as species and have many synonyms (Naugžemys et al, 2007; USDA, 2010). A characteristic feature of L. caerulea is a double-flower inflorescence. The inferior ovaries of both flowers are aggregated by sepalous leaves which form a homogenous, fleshy coating of the multiple fruit (Roślinykwiatowe , 1998). The ripe multiple fruit consists of two false berries and looks like a single berry. Sweet enough to be eaten fresh, the berries can be made into jam, jelly, and even ice cream. Any surplus fruits will retain their flavour and shape when frozen
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