Can We Grow Watermelons Without Bees?
Question:
Are bees needed to pollinate watermelons?
The short answer is:
Yes, bees are vital for pollinating watermelons not only for the plant to be able to produce an abundance of fruit, but also to ensure that the watermelons are healthy, and with a good shape. Pollination by bees also affects the sweetness of the fruit.
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Firstly, it should be mentioned that cross pollination by insects is essential for growing watermelons. Although research has demonstrated the contribution of various flies and wasps, bees are by far the most important and efficient pollinator.
Mostly honey bees but also sweat bees and base-banded furrow bees, but how do we know?
This question has been investigated by scientists.
In 2019, researchers published a scientific paper which examined 40 commercial watermelon fields from 2013 to 2016, and obtained information on pollinator visitation rates for managed and wild pollinators at different distances from field margins3. The scientists determined the amount of collected pollen on the pollinators’ bodies, how much time the pollinators spent on flowers, and the amount of pollen they deposited on stigmas.
They found that:
The crops were also visited by 5 wasp species and 6 fly species.
The researchers recommended that growers could adopt practices to encourage more wild pollinators to assist with pollination by honey bees.
Interestingly, although many of us commonly think of, and refer to watermelons as being fruit, it seems they could be either. The watermelon Citrullus lanatus, belongs to the gourd (cucurbitaceae) family of plants, and to a plant order which includes pumpkins and melons (Cucurbitaceae). In the west, it is most commonly used as a sweet fruit, but in China, for example, the outer rind is used as a vegetable, and is pickled in Russia and southern USA.
Source: The National Watermelon Promotion Board, USA.
1. https://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/MELON/watermelon.pdf
2. Johnson, G. 2014. Watermelon pollination, fruit set, and hollow heart. Weekly crop update. University of Delaware. https://extension.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=6579
3. Joshua W. Campbell, Cory Stanley-Stahr, Mary Bammer, Jaret C. Daniels & James D. Ellis (2019) Contribution of bees and other pollinators to watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) pollination, Journal of Apicultural Research, 58:4, 597-603, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2019.1614271
4. University of Georgia, Entomology: UGA honey bee program. http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/beekeeping.html
5. Boyhan, G. E., Granberry, D. M., and Kelley W. T. 2000. Commercial watermelon production. Bulletin 996. UGA Cooperative Extension Service.