Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [7]
After pollination, the male pollen unites with the female egg inside the plant’s ovary. There it grows, or germinates; this final step of the process is called fertilization. Once fertilization takes place in the ovary, the flower expires and drops its petals from the stem, and a fruit and a seed are produced. The seeds spread, and new flowers grow.
Some species of plants can be fertilized by pollen from flowers on the same plant or from a similar cultivar of the same species. Although these self-pollinated plants can provide their own pollen, they still need bees to transfer the pollen to another flower on the same plant. Other species of plants require pollen from a different cultivar for fertilization, and this process is called cross-pollination. Many of these flowers have male and female parts, but nature will not allow these plants to fertilize themselves with their own pollen. Cross-pollination is only possible when both plants are in bloom at the same time.
PARTS OF THE FLOWER
A single honeybee tends to visit the same type of flowers repeatedly while gathering pollen. Others from her same colony may visit different types of flowers, but each bee will visit its own chosen type over and over. This loyalty is called flower constancy, and it is another reason honeybees are such great pollinators.
Flowers also produce nectar, a clear liquid substance usually found in the center of most flowers, which is called a nectary. Worker bees gather nectar from flowers and carry it back to the hive to be made into honey. Honeybees eat pollen for its protein, vitamins, and fat and honey for its carbohydrates. In return, the honeybees provide essential pollination to the plants they visit.
Pollination Terms
Cultivar: a cultivated variety of plants of the same species given a unique name and bred for their desirable characteristics.
Variety: A variation of a species.
Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the male part of one flower to the female part of the same flower or other flowers on the same plant. Also called “perfect flowers.”
Cross-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of the flower of a different cultivar.
Pollinator: Agents such as bees, moths, butterflies, other insects, the wind, and humans that physically transfer pollen from the anther to the stigma of a flower.
Pollinizer: A plant that is a source of pollen.
Crops that have not been properly pollinated are disfigured and underdeveloped. They taste as unappetizing as they look. A perfectly pollinated cucumber will grow straight and well rounded; if it is not fully pollinated, it will be lopsided and will curl. Cantaloupes that are firm, heavy, and juicy have been properly pollinated, as have apples that are large and able to stand up straight without tipping. The seeds of a watermelon tell us a lot about pollination. The black seeds were pollinated, but the white seeds were not. The more black seeds, the sweeter the watermelon will be. It takes pollinated seeds to produce the hormones that cause fruits and vegetables to ripen and taste good. Poorly pollinated crops will spoil quickly and often cause digestive troubles. Many discerning shop and restaurant owners won’t accept underdeveloped produce because they know consumers will reject it.
Environmentally conscious beekeeping is a completely sustainable agricultural enterprise. Honeybees support sustainability through pollination by assisting the natural life cycle of plants, which replenishes the rich variety of flora and fauna in a given geographic region, while at the same time supporting wildlife. Meanwhile, the honey the bees make provides a natural edible product that does not harm the environment, creates no waste, and maintains the ecosystem. Honey