Insect pollination dependence in lemon production in southeastern Spain

Insect pollination is essential for food production, since this ecosystem service is responsible for around three-quarters of global agricultural production.
Pollination in citrus is mainly entomophilous, however, in this genus, pollination requirements can vary widely depending on the cultivar and species largely due to significant differences in their floral biology.
This work investigated the dependence of the lemon cultivar ‘Verna 51’ on the pollination service for fruit production.
For this purpose, four treatments were carried out: 1) self-pollination (AP), 2) cross-pollination with the lemon cultivar ‘Fino 49’ (CP), 3) parthenocarpy (P), and 4) insect contribution (IC), and their effect on fruit sets and different fruit parameters was analysed. 98% of pollinating insects were bees, Apis mellifera being the only bee species recorded in the crop.
Compared to all other treatments, fruit set was higher in the cross-pollination treatment, while it was minimal or null in AP, P and IC, and, furthermore, parthenocarpic fruits were significantly smaller in weight and diameter.
Based on the results observed, the fruit production of ‘Verna 51’ lemon cultivar could be improved if trees of ‘Fino 49’ were cultivated between the trees of ‘Verna 51’.

XV International Citrus Congress

C.M. Rodríguez, M. Pérez-Marcos, J.A. Sánchez-Sánchez, O. Pérez-Tornero

entomophilous pollination, floral biology, Citrus limon, pollination service

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1448.40