Insect-Mediated Pollination of Strawberries in an Urban Environment

Urban Farm DB summary

A study near Paris, France, evaluated the effects of insect-mediated pollination service and potential pollination deficit on fruit set, seed set, and fruit quality (size, weight, malformation) in strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) growing in an urban area, using flower-visitor observations and pollination experiments. Flower-visitor observations found that the pollinator community consisted solely of unmanaged (wild) pollinators, despite beehives being present in the surrounding landscape. Pollination experiments showed that wild-insect pollination improved fruit size as a qualitative measure of production but did not improve fruit set, and no evidence of pollination deficit was found in this urban environment.