Search results

There are several studies reporting the evidence that pollinators are declining as a result of local and global environmental degradation. Operation Pollinator is an international biodiversity program, supported by Syngenta, to boost the number of pollinating insects on commercial farms. It works by creating specific habitats, tailored to local conditions and native insects. The aim of this work is to increase the ecological suitability of pollinator populations through improves food availability for pollinator employing strategies for surrounding landscape. Two cherry orchards, located in Fundão, Portugal, were studied: one was installed a patch meadow with flowery prairie with the purpose of increasing pollinator’s number; other with poor native biodiversity. It was identified the main groups of insects visiting the cherry blossoms and the surrounding flora, during the flowering cherry trees. This review was conducted through observation and analysis of pollen in pollinator’s nests, artificially placed in the orchards in order to evaluate the visiting flowers. There was a greater number of pollinating insects in the orchard with higher biodiversity and it was found that insects visited other flora along with the cherry blossoms. The Hymenoptera identified belong to genus: Andrena; Apis; Eucera; Tropinota; Anthophora; Osmia; Xylocopa. The orchard where haven’t been installed the patch meadow, shows a lower number of visiting insects as well as lower species variability. The increasing of pollinators protects the environment and increases the fruit production and quality. The findings of the sweeter fruit, with the increased number and diversity of insects leads to the conclusion that the environment benefits from the increase in pollinators with more balanced environment, it's a winning environment for everyone. The conservation of pollinator habitat can also enrich overall biodiversity and the ecosystem services, protect soil and water quality

Efeito dos polinizadores himenópteros em pomar de cereja.

Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martinez is an endemic plant from the Iberian Peninsula which belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Lluisieri, Genista falcata Brot. and Lavandula pedunculata (Miller) Cay. ssp. sampaiana (Rozeira) Franco can be found together in some regions of Central Eastern Portugal where old vegetation of meso-mediterranean communities occurs. Relevant aspects of L. luisieri species such as 1 - two new important products in its essential oil; 2 - the importance of its honey; 3 — this crop improvement; 4 - the ornamental interest in its use in Mediterranean gardens; and 5 - the difficulty of its seeds germination; are the main aspects of our study on seed germination and the identification of the essential oils compounds. Seed germination of four populations collected in different locations in Central Eastern Portugal and of two different maturation dates were compared. Seed germination experiments in laboratory (40 and 75 days after the harvest) were carried out using a constant temperature (25°C) and an alternating regime (8/18°C) with a photoperiod of 8 hours and another with a photoperiod of 16 hours. The results show significant differences in the seed germination proceeding of the four populations. Some components identified in essential oils were irregular monoterpenoids with a cyclopentanic structure unique in the plant kingdom.

A capacidade germinativa de Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martínez, espécie endémica da Península Ibérica, pertencente à família Lamiaceae, cujos diásporos foram colhidas em quatro locais da Beira Interior-Portugal (Casal da Fraga, Mata, Penamacor e Vila Velha de Ródão), foi avaliada durante dois anos. Sementes conservadas durante diferentes tempos após colheita, foram ensaiadas em condições controladas de temperatura e luz. As modalidades seleccionadas foram: para um tempo de conservação de 40 dias a temperatura contínua de 25ºC e fotoperíodo de 16h e para a alternância de 8º/18ºC o fotoperíodo de 8h que coincidiu com a temperatura mais elevada; para um tempo de conservação de 75 dias, a temperatura contínua de 25ºC e os fotoperíodos de 8h e 16h; para um tempo de conservação de 110 dias a alternância de 8º/18ºC e fotoperíodo de 8h; para um tempo de conservação de 288 dias, a alternância de 8º/18ºC e fotoperíodo de 8h e a temperatura contínua de 25ºC e um fotoperíodo de 16h. Os resultados confirmam que as condições de Outono (temperaturas alternas de 8º/18ªC ) foram as mais adequadas para a germinação desta espécie durante os diferentes tempos de conservação.