Commercial use of a Japanese mason bee, Osmia cornifrons as a pollinator of greenhouse crops

为了使薇菜作为各种温室作物的传粉者，如草莓、甜瓜、西红柿等，将这种蜜蜂商业化是必不可少的。为了实现蜜蜂的商品化，我们研究了以下4个项目，即1-全年可利用，2-蜜蜂的大规模生产，3-开发人工巢，4-证明其授粉效率。结果总结如下：1)维持蜜蜂直到解放的程序如下：A(将预蛹保持在10ﾟC以抑制进一步发育，能够保持长达420天)-B(在22ﾟC下孵化预蛹直到化蛹)-C(在26ﾟC孵化直到羽化)-D(在26ﾟC冷藏成虫)-E(在5ﾟC冷藏成虫以打破滞育，能够保持长达270天)。通过从A到E的程序，我们最多可以饲养蜜蜂755天。通过控制A和E，有可能在温室中的任何时间将蜜蜂有性地释放出来。2)在紫云英领域，大范围培养黄蜂是很有前途的，繁殖率(产生雌性后代的数量/释放的雌性数量)高达约6.03)通过用不同颜色的颜料染色，可以诱导它们在黄蜂中的巢穴歧视。4)在草莓和西红柿上证明了黄花的授粉效率。在草莓中，只有15只采粉蜜蜂/5a就足以生产商品化的果实。

To diffuse Osmia cornifrons as a pollinator of a variety of greenhouse crops, such as strawberries, melons, tomatoes, etc., it is essential to commericialize this bee. We studied the following 4 projects so as to realize commercialization of the bee, i.e., 1- To enable utilization throughout a whole year, 2- Mass production of bees, 3- To exploit artificial nests, and 4- To prove its pollination efficiency. The results are summarized as follows :1) The procedure to maintain the bees until their liberation is as follows : A (keeping prepupae at 10ﾟC to inhibit further development, capable to retain up to 420 days) - B (incubating prepupae at 22ﾟC until pupation) - C (incubating pupae at 26ﾟC until eclosion) - D (incubating adults at 26ﾟC prior to chilling) - E (chilling adults at 5ﾟC to break diapause, capable to retain up to 270 days). Through the procedures from A to E,we could maintain the bees for 755 days in maximum. By manipulating A and E,it is possible to liberate bees voluatarily at any time of their use in greenhouses.2) Mass culture of O.cornifrons was very promising at the field of Chinese milk vetch, where the ratio of reproduction (no.of female offsprin produced/no.of females liberated) reached up to approximately 6.0.3) It was possible to induce the discrimination of their own nests in O.cornifrons by staining the nest materials with different color paints.4) Pollination efficiency by O.cornifrons was proved in strawberries and tomatoes. In strawberries, only 15 pollen foraging bees/5a were enough for production of fruits at commercial level.