Ants are effective pollinators of common buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum
Ants are effective pollinators of common buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum
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DOI：
10.1111/afe.12493
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发表时间：
2022-02
影响因子：
1.6
通讯作者：
Kae Natsume;S. Hayashi;T. Miyashita
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kae Natsume;S. Hayashi;T. Miyashita
农作物野生传粉者的适当管理需要识别有效的传粉者物种。虽然非蜜蜂授粉者越来越受到关注，但蚂蚁等小型地面昆虫通常被认为是无效的。然而，我们以前的研究发现，蚂蚁访花和种子设置在二端作物普通荞麦之间的正相关性，这表明蚂蚁作为有效的传粉者的潜在作用。在这项研究中，我们的目的是确认蚂蚁授粉的有效性，通过在现场进行蚂蚁排斥实验。此外，作为蚂蚁可以传递花粉的证据，我们还计算了附着在两种丰富的访花蚂蚁--日本蚁和弓背蚁体表的花粉粒数量。在防蚁处理下，与对照植物相比，荞麦植物的结实率显着降低（平均30%），并且这种效果在两种花型（针和线）和两个季节（夏季和秋季）中一致。此外，花粉粒的每个花形态被发现在两种蚂蚁访问两种类型的花，这表明在荞麦种子设置的潜在贡献。本研究的结果表明，蚂蚁可能是一个未被重视的传粉荞麦。
Proper management of wild pollinators of agricultural crops requires identification of effective pollinator species. Although non‐bee pollinators are gaining increasing attention, small ground‐dwelling insects such as ants are often deemed ineffective. However, our previous study found a positive correlation between ant visitations to flowers and seed set in the distylous crop common buckwheat, suggesting a potential role of ants as effective pollinators. In this study, we aimed to confirm the effectiveness of ant pollination by conducting ant‐exclusion experiments in the field. In addition, as evidence that ants can transfer pollen, we also counted the number of pollen grains attached to the body surface of two abundant flower‐visiting ant species, Formica japonica and Camponotus japonicus. Under the ant‐exclusion treatment, the buckwheat plants showed a significant reduction (30% on average) in seed set compared with control plants, and this effect was consistent across both flower morphs (pin and thrum) and two seasons (summer and autumn). Moreover, pollen grains of each flower morph were found on both ant species visiting both types of flower, suggesting a potential contribution to seed set in buckwheat. The results of this study suggest that ants may be an underappreciated pollinator of common buckwheat.