The importance of bees in tomato pollination

The tomato is not considered a plant dependent on pollinating insects for its production, but it benefits from the visitation of bees during its flowering, both to increase the number of fruits formed and the quality of these fruits.

Bees that have the capacity for thoracic vibration (buzz pollination) are the most efficient in the pollination process in tomato crops when compared to the others, as they promote the vibration of the anthers of the hermaphrodite tomato flowers, which facilitates the release of the pollen grain so that it can reach the stigma and from hence fertilization and the formation of the fruit.

Some species of native bees are capable of carrying out this pollination by vibration, such as those of the genus Exomalopsis sp., observed in several crop fields in different regions of Brazil. In our country, the practice of inserting Melipona quadrifasciata (popularly known as mandaçaia bee) in a greenhouse during tomato flowering is very promising for increasing, above all, the quality of the fruits.

The genus bees Bombus, known as bumblebees, are also important pollinators for the crop and are used throughout the world to promote buzz pollination in tomato greenhouses.

Many bees that pollinate tomato flowers build their nests in the ground, so it is a challenge to maintain these species in open cultivation areas. Soil conservation practices, combined with the correct use of agricultural pesticides, the preservation of forest fragments and the maintenance of vegetative diversity to provide nectar and other floral resources necessary for bee survival, are essential to maintain the longevity of populations in the surrounding area. of culture.

Another action that can help the producer in conserving pollinators is to seek to know more about the main species and their habits and know how to differentiate them from other insects that represent losses to the crop.

By Gabriela Botelho, Stewardship consultant at Ihara