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💡 Wind, water, wings
Grasses fling clouds of light pollen to the wind; bright flowers bribe bees with nectar. Each plant has a strategy to get its pollen delivered.
What are the pollination strategies?
Pollination
Carried by an agent
1. By wind
Light, dry pollen
Example:
Wheat, rice, grasses
2. By water
Currents carry pollen
Example:
Vallisneria
3. By insects
Bright, scented flowers
Example:
Bees on bright flowers
What are the strategies of pollination?
Pollination Strategies
Wind — light pollen, feathery stigma (wheat, rice) Water — currents carry pollen (Vallisneria) Insects — bright, scented, nectar flowers (bees) Birds — sunbirds pollinate some flowers
- Pollination depends on external agents called pollinators — wind, water, insects or birds.
- Wind : light pollen and feathery stigmas (wheat, maize, rice); water : currents carry pollen (Vallisneria, Hydrilla).
- Insects : bright, scented, nectar-rich flowers with sticky pollen (sunflower, hibiscus, marigold); birds : some flowers are pollinated by sunbirds and the Indian white-eye.
Activity 11.7 — Let us find out
In this Activity, we will find out how two pollination strategies compare by analysing pollen and seed data in Table 11.3.
Activity 11.7 — Pollen Data
Step 1
Study the pollen and seed data
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Step 2
Compare the pollen-to-seed ratio
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Step 3
Compare pollination efficiency
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Step 4
Explain why huge pollen counts still work
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Each strategy succeeds in its own way
- Study the data on pollen production and seed formation for two pollination strategies (Table 11.3).
- Compare the two strategies for their pollen-to-seed ratio.
- Compare their efficiency of pollination and seed formation.
- Explain why producing a very large number of pollen grains can still be an effective strategy.
What we observe
Wind-pollinated grasses release huge amounts of pollen for relatively few seeds, while insect-pollinated plants use far less pollen more efficiently — each strategy succeeds in its own way.
| Pollination strategy | Approximate pollen grains released per flower | Estimated average number of seeds formed |
|---|---|---|
| Wind-pollinated grasses (e.g., maize, wheat) | 5,00,000–10,00,000 | 50–200 |
| Insect-pollinated plants (e.g., sunflower) | 20,000–40,000 | 800–1,000 |
👤 Meet a Scientist
P. Maheshwari , known as the ‘Father of Indian Embryology’, was a leading scientist in the study of plant reproductive organs. He developed the technique of in-vitro fertilisation in flowering plants by fusing an egg and male gamete in a test tube to create new hybrid plants, and grew plant embryos on artificial nutrient media. His book, An Introduction to the Embryology of Angiosperms (1950), is still widely used.
NCERT Question 6 — Why are flowers that bloom
Why are flowers that bloom at night white or light in colour as compared to flowers that bloom during the day?
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NCERT Question 11 — Look at the picture given
Look at the picture given below and think in line with the given prompts and find out which type(s) of pollination might have been followed in these flowers — Tomato: Stamens cover the stigma. Wheat: Flowers open after pollination. Papaya: Male and female flowers are often borne on different papaya trees.
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NCERT Question 12 — In the lower Himalayan region
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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✅ Test Yourself
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Which part of the flower makes pollen grains?
Show Answer
The anther , at the top of the stamen. -
Name the three parts of a pistil.
Show Answer
Stigma, style and ovary. -
What is pollination?
Show Answer
The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma. -
Why are wind-pollinated flowers not brightly coloured?
Show Answer
They need no insect to attract — the wind carries their light, small pollen.
Important Definitions
- Pollinator — the external agent — wind, water, insect or bird — that carries pollen to a stigma.
- Wind pollination — pollen carried by air; the grains are light and small and the stigma is long and feathery (wheat, maize, rice).
- Water pollination — pollen carried by water currents, as in aquatic plants like Vallisneria and Hydrilla .
- Insect pollination — pollen carried on an insect’s body; such flowers are bright, scented and produce nectar.
