POLLINATION STRATEGY CHOICE FOR ALFALFA
KONSTANTIN S. ARTOKHIN *
Agroliga of Russia Inc., Chehova, 71, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
ALEXANDER N. POLTAVSKY
Southern Federal University, Bolshaja Sadovaja, 105/42, Rostov-on-Don, 344006, Russia
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The pollination strategy choice for alfalfa depends on two main factors: pollinator density in agro-ecosystems; and their faunal formation in the field. The natural occurrence of pollinators was estimated in southern Russia and sound to be of sufficient quantity to archieve complete alfalfa pollination. For solitary wild bee pollinator species was shown to establish highly mobile nomadic populations in agro-ecosystems.
Keywords: Seed alfalfa, bee pollinators, solitary wild bees, agro-ecosystems, southern Russia, nomadic bee populations, neonicotinoids