FRUIT SETTING AND YIELD OF LOQUATS (ERIOBOTRYA JAPONICA) AS AFFECTED BY POLLINATORS

A field experiment was conducted during loquat s growing season, 2008 at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad to evaluate the effect of different pollination treatments on fruit setting and quality of loquat as well as to determine the types of pollinators visiting loquat flowers during different times of the day. Open and covered pollination treatments were imposed on the selected trees. Extremely higher fruit-set was obtained under open-pollination as compared to the covered treatment. Fruits obtained under open pollination were also heavier and larger which was partly due to a significant increase in seeds and flesh weight. Loquat flowers attracted number of bee visitors. Insects belonging to Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Syrphidae (Diptera) and Apidae (Hymenoptera) were recorded as the main visitors. They showed a slight variation in their visiting time; however, the highest numbers of visitors were attracted to loquat flowers during the morning time of the day.