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CSI Chocolate:combining molecular tools and field observations to identify the cryptic pollinators of cacao

par Vroman, Sara
Promoteur Vanschoenwinkel, Bram
Co-Promoteur Mohamed, Nor Zakipah
Publication Non publié, 2024-06-28

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Résumé :

Despite theeconomicimportanceofcacao,theexactidentityofitspollinatorsremains disputed.Consequently,littleisknownabouttheirecologyandhowtoadapt managementforconservingandenhancingpollinatingservices.In thiswork,wecombinecacaoflowervisitorobservations(behaviourandpollenattachment), emergencetraps,morphologicalidentification,andDNAbarcodingfrom surveysinNicaragua,Peru,FrenchGuiana,andMalaysiatohelpresolvethree keyknowledgegapsbyansweringthreemainquestions:(1)“Arebitingmidges ofthefamilyCeratopogonidaetheonlyimportantpollinatorsofcacao?”,(2) “Doespollinatordiversitydifferacrosscontinents?”,and(3)“Whichbreedingenvironmentscouldbepromotedtoincreasepollinators?”.Our resultsshowthat(1)basedonpollinatingbehaviourandpollenadherence,Ceratopogonidae,andthegenus Forcipomyia in particularinMalaysia,arethepredominantpollinators.(2)LatinAmericanplantationsappeartohavemoreceratopogonidgeneravisitingflowers,andahigherflowervisitorgeneticdiversity.FlowervisitorabundancewashigherinMalaysia.(3)InMalaysia,thesoil beneathunderstoryweedsemergedaspollinatorbreedinghabitat.New datafromaplannedexpeditiontoWestAfricawillallowustomakestronger generalisationsaboutglobalvariationincacaopollinatorsandthebreedinghabitatstheyrequire.However,atthemomentthecomprehensivesynthesis inthisthesisalreadysuggeststhatallflowervisitorsotherthanceratopogonidsareunlikelytobepollinators.Giventhatpollinationisoftenlimiting forproduction,managersshouldseekwaystopromotepollinatorbreedingsuccessinplantations.