Poor Pollination in Peach
Return to Abiotic Disorders
Poor pollination results in flower drop and reduced fruit set. Non-pollinated flowers dry up, and the ovary beneath the shuck turns yellow and shrivels. This can be caused by an insufficient bee population (too few hives) and/or reduced bee activity (cold, windy, wet conditions during bloom).
Lack of pollination caused flowers to abort.
(Photo: John Strang, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Provide adequate numbers of pollinators; one strong honey bee hive per acre is more effective than orchard bees and more economical than bumble bees.
