Sunflower Pollination

In sunflower seed production, pollen from a male row of sunflowers must be moved by bees to a female row. Most honey bee workers specialize as either nectar or pollen foragers. Nectar foragers tend primarily to visit female rows, while pollen foragers visit male rows. If few bees cross between rows there will be poor seed-set. Most native bees, on the other hand, collect both pollen and nectar on each foraging trip and therefore tend to cross between the rows, pollinating the female flowers in the process. These native bees also make honey bees more efficient because the natives come in contact with honey bees and literally chase them between rows.

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