Effects of Different Pollination Modes on Fruit Setting Rate of Camellia reticulata Lindl.

Purpose To study the effects of different pollination modes on fruit setting rate of Camellia reticulata Lindl., providing a theoretical basis for improving the fruit setting rate and cultivation benefit of C. reticulata by pollination management.

Methods Natural pollination and artificial pollination experiments were carried out in five populations of C. reticulata, and the differences of fruit setting rates between wind and insect pollination, artificial outcrossing and self-crossing pollination, and artificial outcrossing pollination and insect pollination were compared and analyzed.

Results The average fruit setting rate per plant of insect pollination in five populations of C. reticulata was 20.31%, which was extremely significantly higher than that of wind pollination (3.54%, P<0.01). The average fruit setting rate per plant of artificial outcrossing pollination was 44.34%, which was extremely significantly higher than that of artificial self-crossing pollination (7.40%, P<0.01) and higher than that of insect pollination.

Conclusion C. reticulata can set a small amount of fruit by wind pollination, but insect pollination is the main way of setting fruit. Artificial outcrossing pollination is beneficial to increase the fruit setting rate, especially in clonal populations. To make full use of pollination characteristics of C. reticulata to improve its fruit setting rate and cultivation benefit, we should rationally allocate varieties, artificially pollinate flowers and breed inbred improved varieties.