Artificial Pollination

It is the form of pollination that is done by people that is referred to as artificial pollination. The technique is a mechanical one that is used to pollinate plants when natural pollination is either insufficient or unacceptable to the plant.

Method

This form of pollination involves manually transporting pollen from the stamen of one plant to the pistil of another plant, which is done by hand. The plant from which the pollen is harvested is referred to as the pollen donor or pollen parent, and the plant from which the pollen is received is referred to as the seed parent. It is common practise to hand-pollinate flowers with a cotton swab or small brush; however, it can also be accomplished by removing the petals from a male flower and brushing them against the stigmas of female flowers, or by simply shaking flowers, as in the case of bisexual flowers such as tomato flowers. Orchids, for example, are a special case because their pollen is condensed into a mass called the pollinium, which is a particular instance. It is necessary to use a little tool so that the pollinia will adhere to it in this situation.

Stages of artificial pollination

The male and female flowers are selected from plants that are distinct from one another. Cover the blooms with a cloth to keep pollinating insects away.

Once the flowers have reached sexual maturity, pollinate them using one of the artificial methods available.

Gently rub the pistil of the female flower against the stamens and blow on it to verify that the pollen has adhered to the pistil and stamens of the female bloom.

Cover the fertilised blossom with a fresh layer of soil until the fruit begins to form.

Reason

The dearth of pollinators, the desire to maintain control over cross-pollination between kinds grown together and the desire to create specific hybrids are all valid grounds for using this strategy.

Vanilla plants, for example, which are carried to locations where their natural pollinator does not exist, or plants planted in greenhouses, urban settings, or under a cover to control pests, where natural pollinators are unable to reach them, are all examples of this practise. Pollinator decrease, as well as the concentrated pollination requirements of monoculture, can also be contributing factors.

However, these are not the only reasons for hand pollination, and a variety of techniques for hand pollination have been developed for a variety of specialised crops. Hand-pollination is employed with date palms, for example, to avoid spending space and energy on producing enough male plants to ensure enough natural pollination. Because of the amount of labour required, hand-pollination is only an option on a limited scale, and is mostly employed by small market gardeners and individuals who have a small number of plants. The use of honeybees or other pollinators is a more efficient approach to pollination management on large-scale operations such as field crops, orchards, or commercial seed production.

Despite this, hand pollination is a pretty common practice in agriculture. Since the 1980s, pears grown in Hanyuan County, China, have been hand-pollinated because they cannot be pollinated by other varieties that flower at a different time of year; in addition, lice infestation necessitates the use of numerous insecticide sprays, which causes local beekeepers to refuse to lend their beehives to the farmers.

Advantages of artificial pollination

Artificial pollination can improve the size of the fruit and the quantity of seeds produced.

It has the capability of transforming flowers into fruits for exportation.

In addition, it is more appropriate because it is not dependent on any chance elements.

With this form of pollination, we can produce a vast number of different hybrid plants.

Conclusion

It is the process through which pollen is moved from one location to another that is known as pollination. This process is typically carried out by agents like as birds, insects, water, wind, and seed generation, among other things. Whenever these agents are not present, artificial pollination methods are employed.This form of pollination involves manually transporting pollen from the stamen of one plant to the pistil of another plant, which is done by hand. The plant from which the pollen is harvested is referred to as the pollen donor or pollen parent, and the plant from which the pollen is received is referred to as the seed parent.The dearth of pollinators, the desire to maintain control over cross-pollination between kinds grown together and the desire to create specific hybrids are all valid grounds for using this strategy.