Attractive compounds in agricultural crops: A review of their effects on bee pollination and crop yield
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i8.49440Keywords:
Pollination, Apis mellifera, Floral attractants, Crop yield, Sustainability.Abstract
Efficient pollination by bees, directly associated with floral visitation frequency, is crucial for agricultural production on a global scale. Crops with high floral attractiveness generally achieve adequate pollination rates, while those with low attractiveness are affected by insufficient visitation, compromising productivity. This article reviews the effects of attractive compounds on bee pollination and on the productive yield of agricultural crops, aiming to analyze strategies to enhance floral attractiveness in cultivations with pollinator deficits. The methodology consisted of a qualitative narrative review, conducted in specialized databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect), repositories (SciELO), accessed through the CAPES Journal Portal, and a complementary platform (Google Scholar). The analyzed studies demonstrate that the use of plant extracts (e.g., Cymbopogon citratus in avocado), essential oils (e.g., eugenol in citrus), and sugar solutions (e.g., jaggery 10% in cucumber) significantly increase the visitation of Apis mellifera and native species, generating productive increments in fruit weight and germination rate (e.g., onion). In guava trees (Psidium guajava), commercial attractants promoted significant increases in bee visitation and productive parameters, with up to 197.27% increase in fruit weight. It is concluded that attractive compounds are promising tools to optimize pollination in crops with low floral attractiveness, requiring adaptations to pollinator species, application methods (e.g., morning spraying), and local environmental contexts, with recommendations for integration into conservation policies.
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