Bloom-STAGE: POLLINATION TIMING & FORTIFYING BLOSSOMS
BLOOM-STAGE: POLLINATION TIMING & FORTIFYING BLOSSOMS
The Bloom Stage is vital to the overall productivity and yield potential of every crop.
Blossom viability is about 96 hours under ideal conditions. A big challenge with pollination dependent crops is getting trees to awaken from dormancy uniformly, from top to bottom and together, in terms of pollenizers synchronized with the primary crop. This requires an adequate energy supply which is primarily supplied by the plant’s stored reserves. Foliar nutrient fortification can also be complementary to the process. Using lactate-bound formulations of “bio-available” nutrients ensures timely absorption. [2021 WSU Plant Uptake of Lactate-Bound Metals]
On the first day a blossom opens, it is not yet receptive for pollination. This shortens the pollination viability window by a day, which doesn’t leave much time. Fortifying blossoms starting at First White stage in cherries and pears or First Pink stage in apples, with Axiom Opti-Bloom synchronizes blooming activity within the tree and the orchard (pollenizers). By synchronizing blooming activities improves the likelihood of timely pollination and fertilization success.
Opti-Bloom foliar nutrient inoculates blossoms with beneficial nectar-yeast species. As they access the blossom nectaries, they densely populate the interior of the blossoms within hours after application. This beneficial microbial activity creates heat within the interior of the blossom which protects the reproductive organs from cold temperatures to maintain their viability. This warm interior flower temperature is also an attractant to honeybees as a heat-reward. Spanish research from 2009 stated, “Experimental exclusion of yeasts from the nectaries significantly reduced, and experimental addition of yeasts significantly increased, the temperature excess of nectaries and the air space inside flowers in relation to the air just outside the flowers. In non-experimental flowers exposed to natural pollinator visitation, ΔTnect was linearly related to log yeast cell density in nectar, and reached +6°C in nectaries with the densest yeast populations.” Research was performed without the use of wind machines or frost water protection and only yeast inoculations were used.
Within this short period of time, it’s vital to have bees in your field whenever the conditions allow. Fortifying blossoms with nectar-yeasts increase interior bloom temperatures making them more attractive to bees to get them active in your field earlier each day.
Farming is done in real life and at real speeds; it is not done in a laboratory with ideal, controlled conditions. This is why the ability to adapt and adjust with these changing variables is vital. Your Bloom Stage nutrient management plan plays a key role in pollination success. Let’s connect to discuss further and work out a plan that ensures all of the details are covered to reduce risks and increase your likelihood of pollination success.
Here’s to your crops’ success!
