The importance of wild insects in the pollination of avocado crop grown under organic and conventional management practices in central Chile

Abstract

Several recent studies have highlighted the importance of wild insects in crop pollination. In this study, we performed an exploratory evaluation of the importance of wild insects in the pollination of avocado crop grown under organic and conventional management practices in Quillota, central Chile. The diversity of floral visitors was estimated for each tree. The rate of floral visits by honeybees and wild insects correlated with the number of fruit sets. Regardless of the management practice, on average 34% of the visitors were wild insects. A greater diversity of floral visitors was registered in the organic farm. Finally, fruit set positively correlated with the rate of wild insect visits, especially under conventional management. Our preliminary results highlight the importance of wild insects in the pollination of the avocado crop.