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Bumblebees in focus: How flowers with taste ensure pollination!
Research from Ulm University discovered that scents in flowers are also taste signals in nectar, attracting pollinators and keeping nectar thieves away.
Bumblebees in focus: How flowers with taste ensure pollination!
A research team led by Ulm University has made a fascinating discovery about the scent of flowers. Loud uni-ulm.de The study shows that the scents of flowers are not only important for human sensitivity, but also act as flavoring substances in nectar. This could have profound effects on insect pollination.
The researchers particularly examined jewelweed flowers, which use a chemical guidance system to guide bumblebees to their nectar. A key finding of this study is that plants specifically prevent insects from stealing nectar without contributing to pollination. This is achieved through the spatial distribution of volatile organic substances released into both the air and nectar, resulting in bumblebees and other pollinators being able to smell and taste the odorants.
Mechanisms of pollination
The study in the journalCurrent Biologypublished shows that bumblebees react differently to different scents and flavors. While nectar scents such as vanillin are well accepted by bumblebees, other scents seem to be avoided. The spatial structure of these scents promotes pollination and at the same time acts as a barrier against nectar thieves, which can be understood as a kind of “chemical bouncer”.
The significance of this discovery transcends the plant species studied because it points to the general influence of scents as taste signals. The results were developed as part of Kim Heuel's master's thesis, in cooperation with Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts. State-of-the-art analytical methods were used to identify the volatile organic substances, which underlines the depth of the research.
Pollinators in the field
Pollinators such as bumblebees play a crucial role in agriculture, particularly in short-flowering crops. Loud koppertbio.de Bumblebees are particularly effective at pollinating plants such as plums, peaches and apricots, which only bloom for a few weeks. In this short period of time, efficient pollination is crucial for successful fruit setting.
Special pollinator solutions such as Natupol Booster have been developed for these crops and are ideal for plants with a high nectar supply. Long-flowering plants such as apples and pears, on the other hand, require pollinators such as Tripol, which have three colonies in large numbers to ensure continuous pollination.
Overall, it turns out that the interactions between plants and their pollinators are complex. Pollination itself is a highly specialized process in which pollen is transferred to the ovules of plants. This process can occur through wind or flower-visiting animals, mainly insects. The pollen transfer process is crucial for fertilization and the formation of new plants. Information about pollination can also be found on Wikipedia, which describes the different forms and mechanisms in detail.
These findings not only highlight the biological subtleties in the interaction between plants and insects, but also open up new perspectives for agriculture and the conservation of pollinators in their natural environment.