Pollination
Introduction
Insect pollination in action. Image – Ben Zwickenpflug.
Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from anther (male flower part) to stigma (female flower part). Without it, seeds and fruit will not be formed. Pollination can be achieved by wind or by using animals such as insects. One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat are the result of animal pollination. Examples include fruits such as strawberries, apples and figs, seeds such as beans and sunflower kernels, and nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts. Even salad plants need pollination to produce the seeds from which they are grown!
Many exotic plants are grown as crops in New Zealand, including; kiwifruit, apples, grapes, stone fruit and some seed crops. The exotic honeybee Apis mellifera is used for much of the commercial pollination that occurs in New Zealand, but bumblebees Bombus spp., drone flies Eristalis tenax, native bees, flies and other insects also pollinate crops.
Research areas
- Community pollination monitoring
Primary contact: Linda Newstrom-Lloyd
The New Zealand Pollination Project uses research to investigate the interactions between pollinators and plants. - Profiles on Pollinators in New Zealand
Primary contact: Linda Newstrom-Lloyd
Information on pollinators and their plants in New Zealand
Primary contact
 | Linda Newstrom-Lloyd Email  |
Landcare Research | |
Phone: 03 321 9999 |