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Flower scent bouquet variation and bee pollinator visits in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Asteraceae), a source of natural sweeteners

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Abstract

Pollinators provide a key service to both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Little is reported on the pollination chemoecology of Stevia rebaudiana (Asteraceae), a hermaphroditic species producing self-incompatible florets in small corymbs. We investigated the chemistry of volatiles potentially involved in its pollination system. The VOCs emitted by the corymbs of 27 F1 open-pollinated genotypes were collected by solid-phase micro-extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), as well as morphometric data of the genotypes were recorded. Finally, we quantified the abundance of pollinators for each genotype. S. rebaudiana flowers were mainly visited by bees (Apidae and Halictidae), followed by hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae). GC–MS indicated that S. rebaudiana was characterized by a complex scent profile with large variability among F1 plants. Discriminant analysis showed that limonene, δ-elemene and bicyclogermacrene were the compounds explaining most of the scent bouquet difference between high attractive (>40 pollinators/plant) from low attractive pollinator power (<40 pollinators/plant). Limonene was the most representative VOC among plants that are more attractive to pollinators, while high emissions of δ-elemene and bicyclogermacrene were linked to plants that are less attractive to pollinators. S. rebaudiana morphometric data highlighted that, besides floral VOCs, corymb abundance and size, as well as plant height, may route pollinator visits. Overall, this study adds knowledge on floral phenology and pollinator ecological traits of S. rebaudiana, allowing a deeper understanding of its chemical ecology and pollination.

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Acknowledgements

G. Benelli is sponsored by PROAPI (PRAF 2015) “Valutazione della qualità organolettica del polline d’api fresco sottoposto a differenti trattamenti di condizionamento” and University of Pisa, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Grant ID: COFIN2015_22). Funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto, 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Benelli, Angelo Canale, Silvia Tavarini, Andrea Martini, Giuseppe Conte, Marcello Mele & Luciana G. Angelini

  2. The BioRobotics Institute, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy

    Donato Romano

  3. Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno, 33, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Guido Flamini & Roberta Ascrizzi

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  1. Giovanni Benelli
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Correspondence to Giovanni Benelli.

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Communicated by Isabel Alves dos Santos.

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Benelli, G., Canale, A., Romano, D. et al. Flower scent bouquet variation and bee pollinator visits in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Asteraceae), a source of natural sweeteners. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 11, 381–388 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-016-9488-y

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