Controlled Pollination for Germplasm Conservation at the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center

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Leslie Berry
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1 Controlled Pollination for Germplasm Conservation at the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center Susan Stieve Interim Director and Curator Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center The Ohio State University

2 Outline Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC) Pollination research-what is the best pollinator?

3 What is the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center? Grand opening July, 2001 Mission: conserve herbaceous ornamental plants Joint project of USDA National Plant Germplasm System and The Ohio State University

4 We re nuts! Buckeye ( (Aesculus glabra)

5 The OPGC Currently 3,500 accessions 260 genera Annuals, biennials, perennials Diverse flower morphology Most are cross-pollinated Isolation required Multiple accessions of species Ornamentals growing nearby

6 Traditional Seed Production Field Field isolation cages Honey Honey bees, bumblebees, blue orchard bees, and blue bottle flies successfully used by other genebanks

7 Field Cages 7 x 7 7 x 21 (2 x 2 x 6.5 m) cages metal pipe frame purchased locally Screen 14 x 18 mesh, amber color SI Industries, GA $520 per cage incl. screen, frame (2004) Redwood Empire Awning, CA $463 per cage incl. screen, frame (2004) Velcro or zipper door

8 Transplant Mulch, irrigation Bury screen Add pollinator at flowering

9 Seed Production Honey Honey bees, bumblebees and blue bottle flies successfully used by other genebanks Field Field isolation cages Greenhouse compartments effective for year-round round seed production 8,0008,000 ft 2 (743 m 2 ) x 30 (6 x 9 m) compartments

10 HID lights, HAF and exhaust fans Argus environmental control Capillary Mat Vernalization, 40 o F

11 OPGC Pollination Needs Year-round round production Field (60%) Greenhouse (40%) Small staff 4 full-time staff Ohio State undergraduate students

12 Comparison of Pollinators Honey Bee Apis mellifera Advantages Traditional Colonies perennial Relatively inexpensive lease $40/hive Readily available (?) Disadvantages Don t t like confinement, low light, wind 15,00015,000 bees/nucleus hive, all with a stinger! Heavy, Heavy, difficult to move Require Require intense management, treat pests, diseases Must Must order in advance

13 Comparison of Pollinators Advantages Inexpensive $5 for 1700 pupae Effective for flat flowers Readily Readily available year round Tolerate confinement Blue Bottle Fly Calliphoridae Disadvantages Short-lived Ineffective for some flower morphologies Nectar Nectar seeking, accidental pollinator Tend Tend to self-pollinate plants

14 Comparison of Pollinators Advantages Very productive, efficient Tolerate confinement, low light, wind Light, easy to move Just a phone call away Drones stingless but not aggressive pollinators; short lived Bumblebee Bombus impatiens Disadvantages New, proprietary Expensive $120 hive of 75 $50 for 50 drones Annual, effective life 2 months under good conditions Large, intimidating

15 Experiment Randomized complete block design Pollination treatments 2 greenhouse compartments and 2 field cages each pollinator: Honey bee Bumblebee Blue Bottle Fly Control (no pollinator) Seed harvested and cleaned Determined 100 seed weight, germination %, no. seeds per flower, no. flowers per plant in greenhouse versus field, total seed produced

16 Experiment Plant Material Accessions conserved at the OPGC Antirrhinum majus Gumdrops Mix (OPGC 301) Coreopsis Plains Bicolor (OPGC 317) Dianthus chinensis Carnation Shades Double Gaiety (NSL 15527) Rudbeckia hirta Indian Summer (OPGC 14) Tagetes patula Jaguar (OPGC 315)

17 Honey Bees

18 Blue Bottle Flies

19 Bumblebees

20 Bumblebees Protect cardboard hive from water

21 Analysis of Variance Treatment Antirrhinum Coreopsis Dianthus Rudbeckia Tagetes 100 Seed Weight ns ns Germination % ns ns Greenhouse vs. Field # Seeds/flower ** ** * ns ns # Flowers/plant ** ** * ** ** ns ns ns ns *, ** Significant at P 0.05 or 0.01, respectively ns-not not significant ns ns

22 Number of Flowers Produced per Plant 180 a a Greenhouse Field No. Flowers per Plant a a b b b b a b Antirrhinum Coreopsis Dianthus Rudbeckia Tagetes

23 Antirrhinum Antirrhinum a a No. Seeds per Flower c ab c c ab bc 0 GH Cont GH HB GH BB GH BBF Field Cont Field HB Field BB Field BBF Antirrhinum Greenhouse Field Seed Produced (g) Control Honey Bee Bumblebee Blue Bottle Fly

24 Coreopsis Coreopsis No. Seeds per Flower a a a b bc bc c c GH Cont GH HB GH BB GH BBF Field Cont Field HB Field BB Field BBF Coreopsis Greenhouse Field Seed Produced (g) Control Honey Bee Bumblebee Blue Bottle Fly

25 Summary Seeds had similar quality Seeds varied in quantity Greenhouse production worked well for smaller plants (Antirrhinum,( Dianthus, Tagetes) Field cages probably best for larger plants (Coreopsis( Coreopsis, Rudbeckia) Bumblebees ranked as best or second best pollinator for all species

26 OPGC Current Pollination Bumblebees $120 Research B class hive, 100 bees Koppert Biobest has a good Side Effects Manual of pesticide compatibility, Hive good for weeks in field or greenhouse Easy to move, no maintenance Pollinate most plant species $364 to regenerate a typical entomophilous cross-pollinating accession in a field cage Blue bottle flies being reconsidered for specific floral morphologies to reduce costs

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