Pheidole pallidula como posible vector de polinización asistida en cultivos de calabacín (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Abstract

Zucchini protected crops are increasing their relecance in the agricultural sector. However, the cultivation of this vegetable has a problem associated with pollination, attributed to the lack of pollinators, wich makes a much less productive crops. To date, farmers use fithormones that inducing the fruit, but consumers reject these methods, since this prodfuct remains in the fruit even when it is on the market. This study attempts to evaluate the ant species Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849) as a possible vector of pollination in crops of zucchini, to avoid the use of more costly and/or less environmentally friendly techniques. This requires a count of pollen grains carrying the outgoing ants of male flowers and the incoming ants of the female flower. This count is performed over a period of time of 5 minutes. In addition, ot conducted an exclusion experiment on three groups of plants (G1: Plants with P.pallidula, G2: Plants with Lasius niger (linnaeus, 1758) and G3.