Native Vs. Managed Pollinator Effectiveness On Haskap Study Released

The research that has been done over the past couple of years involving the  comparative pollination performances of native and managed pollinators on Haskap (Lonicera caerulea: Caprifoliaceae) has just become available online.  It can be accessed here for free until February 9th, 2016.  This research was performed by: S. Danae Frier, Christopher M. Somers, and Cory S. Sheffield (Dept. of Biology, University of Regina and Royal Saskatchewan Museum).

Title - 'Comparing the performance of native and managed pollinators of Haskap (Lonicera caerulea: Caprifoliaceae), an emerging fruit crop ' - http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0167880915301754/1-s2.0-S0167880915301754-main.pdf?_tid=be095eb2-a8c4-11e5-babf-00000aacb35e&acdnat=1450800046_d05ce7916cd1082b20538a650f9379b6ffe

'Birch Hills Host To Study Of Pollination Of Haskap' - Melfort Journal (June 12, 2014)

Here's an update on pollination research currently under way...

http://www.melfortjournal.com/2014/06/12/birch-hills-hosts-study-of-pollination-of-haskap-plants

Blue Mason Bees Being Studied As Haskap Pollinator

Blue Mason Bees are currently under study in north central Saskatchewan (zone 2) as haskap pollinators...

Osmia Lignaria - Blue Mason Bee

(photo courtesy os Hamish Graham)

2014 Haskap Canada AGM (Part 3): Danae Frier & Haskap Pollination Research

Danae Frier is a M.Sc. candidate at the University of Regina. She reported on the pollination biology of Lonicera caerulea at this year's Haskap Canada AGM.

Beginning with plant structure, this provided the ground work for her to speak about the pollination possibilities.  Because of the uniqueness of haskap's two flowers eventually forming one berry study is currently under way to find more precisely the manner in which this mechanism functions. The pollination of this fruit is known to be fully insect-dependent.  The flower is bee-friendly, and given the time of flowering bumble bees and smaller native bees seem important, being inherently more cold-adapted.  Among other things, field studies this year will consider efficiency-compared-to-effectiveness of various pollinators and which factor is more important to haskap fruit pollination.  She also presented on the bumble bee life-cycle, the importance of forage establishment for year-round bee sustenance, and suitable nest sites for native pollinators.

Again, we include her presentation here and ask that if you share them that attribution is included.  Thank you...

 

http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (1)

If you did not attend, we missed you!  What would you have experienced if you had been there?

Morning Field Tour

Field Tour
Field Fruit Tasting
Special Observation: Hybrids, Native Canadian, Japanese, Russian Varieties
Mechanical Harvesting Demonstration
Pruning Methods

Lunch - Pizza

Afternoon Presentations

Current Research
Raised Bed Planting
Recipes/Cookbook
Pollination Study
Hydroplanting
Haskap Canada Update

Over the next several posts the highlights of these will be briefly touched upon...