Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

POILINATOR PROBLEMS OF CASHEW FARMER IN INDIA - A REVIEW

E.U.B. Reddi

Abstract

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an entomophilous crop. Its yield is totally pollinator dependent. Owing to the paucity of flower visiting insects, pollinator limitation was identified as one of the major constraints of cashew nut production. Scanty and unrewarding forage offered by cashew was blamed for the neglect of this crop by honeybees. As a result, wide gap was noticed between the realized and the potential yields of cashew nuts. However, our country earns more than 25 billion rupees worth of foreign currency on cashew exports and possibility is there to increase earnings by overcoming the pollinator limitation problem. Knowing that there is ample scope to boost cashew yields, the idea of managing fly pollinator species was recommended to cashew farmer. Several management techniques have been developed and tested in order to increase fly populations in cashew orchards. But, the use of Euphorbia antiquorum as hedge to the cashew crop was proved economic and environmentally acceptable. Insect pollinators are fast declining and the day is not far away to the cashew farmer to treat pollination as a major issue over the routine things.