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In the lower Himalayan region of northern India, apples are an important cash crop that contribute significantly to farmer’s livelihoods. The fruit yield in apple cultivation is declining continuously, associated with climate change and a significant decline in the population of natural pollinators. A researcher-farmer group set up two experimental apple orchards at two distinct locations: Places A and B. In apple orchards at Place A, they allowed natural pollinators to pollinate the flowers of the apple. In apple orchards at Place B, they applied mixed farming techniques of beekeeping. Along with honey, the farmer yielded apples. The yield of apples is depicted in Fig. 11.24, in terms of fruit setting (number of fruits/the total number of corresponding fruit-bearing branches) and fruit drop (premature falling of developing fruits) in the two types of experimental places of apple orchards. (i) What are the hypotheses the researcher-farmers group has thought of for this investigation? (ii) What are the different parameters in the experiment? (iii) Compare and analyse the data of two experimental orchards Places A and B, in terms of high yields of apple fruits. (iv) Based on your analysis, what do you infer from the data?
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- (i) Hypothesis: adding a bee colony (extra pollinators) increases fruit set and reduces fruit drop, raising yield.
- (ii) Parameters: pollination method (natural vs bee colony), fruit set %, fruit drop %.
- (iii)–(iv) Place B (with bee colony) shows higher fruit set and lower fruit drop than Place A, so more pollinators give higher apple yield .
