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Sammendrag

Insect pollinators are important drivers of fruit quality and yield in horticultural systems. The global reduction in wild bee populations has increased the demand for managed honeybees, despite honeybees relatively low pollination efficiency. Here, we assessed how bee communities, bee behaviour, and orchard design in Norwegian apple orchards affects apple pollination success, an important determinant of apple quality. We placed pan and vane traps in 18 apple orchards, in six distinct locations, within the two main apple growing regions in Norway. We also tracked individual bees (honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees) throughout the apple flowering season, and recorded their flower handling time, number of flower visits, stigma contact, and movement between apple flowers. Finally, we calculated the seed set rate (ovules developed into seeds / total number of ovules) from 908 harvested apples to estimate pollination success. Our key finding is that pollination success was driven by the abundance of wild bees and overall orchard planting design. We found lower pollination success in block design orchards where a single cultivar is planted continuously over a large area, compared to orchards with an integrated design where compatible cultivars are planted within the orchard. We also found that stigma contact decreased as apple flowering progressed, and that solitary bees visited fewer flowers per foraging event but were potentially more thorough foragers. Our results highlight the importance of promoting wild bees in apple orchards while also ensuring there is compatible pollen in the orchards for optimal pollination.

LOGO_tittel

Divisjon for bioteknologi og plantehelse

IPM-Fruit: IPM strategier for framtidens fruktproduksjon


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Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 02.12.2025
Slutt: nov 2027
Start: des 2023
Sabine og grønnsaker

Divisjon for matproduksjon og samfunn

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The aim of the project is to explore how food systems based on diversified small-scale horticulture can be developed to become more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable while also increasing in scale. This will provide benefits to nature, environment and public health.

Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 19.02.2026
Slutt: feb 2029
Start: feb 2025
LOGO_tittel

Divisjon for bioteknologi og plantehelse

IPM-fruit: IPM strategies for future fruit production


IPM fruit will investigate how preventive and alternative control measures can be used for sustainable fruit production. The project will study how natural enemies, physical control, and biologicals as well as combinations of these can be best applied under Norwegian conditions. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), the Norwegian advisory service (NLR), NIAB East Malling (UK), IRTA (Sapin), and also in close collaboration with fruit growers.

Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 02.12.2025
Slutt: nov 2027
Start: des 2023