Quote:
Originally Posted by merce3
Regarding fruit size, here is a table that shows the relationship between pollination time, fruit set and fruit weight:
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/.../1487.full.pdf
"Flowering Behavior and Pollination Requirements in Climbing Cacti with Fruit Crop Potential" (Weiss, Nerd, Mizrahi 1994:1491) |
I think this study has merit with regard to
lack of pollinators. Further, I think it is a well designed study and well written report. Also, you should note that the stated
weight is an average and thus it is not that individual weights have increased but instead the total weight of the crop; i.e., there were more fruits formed in the hand-pollinated group. To the authors this is totally reasonable because total weight is what farmers care about most.
Otherwise, the paper is not relevant to your environment or mine. Nor is it relevant to Hylocereus species of interest to cultivation in my garden.
As a contra-positive, I will also state that I have always attempted to hand pollinate my Hylocereus fruits when observation or circumstances permit.