Effects of temperature, humidity and caging on the concentration of fruit pollen in the air

Abstract

The amount of air-borne pollen was measured continuously over several days at peak flowering in apple, peach, and cherry orchards using an automatic volumetric spore trap. The maximum number of grains of pollen per m3 recorded in the apple, cherry, and peach orchards were 68, 48, and 13 respectively High concentrations were associated with high ambient temperatures and low relative humidities. In a second experiment, pollen concentrations were measured over five days inside and outside a 1/10- inch mesh insect-proof cage placed in a lemon orchard. Significantly (P<0.01) more pollen was recorded outside the cage than inside.