DOI: 10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g66
title: Pollination dependency and deficit in three almond varieties from Morocco

description: The contribution of insects to pollination constitutes a globally
 important ecosystem service. Due to the increasing demand for
 entomophilous crops, the nutritional and economic importance of
 insect-pollinated crops and the inability of managed pollinators (Apis
 mellifera L) to meet the high demand for their services indicate that
 agriculture heavily relies on wild pollinators. Almonds are an
 economically valuable crop in Morocco. Therefore, it is essential to
 understand the fundamental pollination requirements of major almond
 varieties to promote their production. The main objectives of this study
 were to assess the dependency of three almond cultivars (Espoir, Largueta
 and Planeta) on insect pollination, and then to evaluate the pollination
 deficit resulting from the lack of these pollinators. For this purpose, we
 used insect-proof net bags constructed around branches of almond trees to
 compare fruit set and yield with open and open + hand-pollinated flowers.
 The results of the fruit set experiment confirmed that all three varieties
 require insect pollination, as fruit set and yield were significantly
 higher in insect-pollinated than insect-isolated trees. All three almond
 varieties were categorized as obligatory dependent on biotic pollinators.
 In addition, two out of the three studied almond varieties showed high
 pollination deficit resulting from the lower abundance and/or diversity of
 pollinating insects. Results of the current study highlights the important
 role of insect pollinators for almond crops and the urgent need for the
 implementation of sustainable strategies to preserve pollinators within
 agricultural ecosystems.
description: # Pollination dependency and deficit in three almond varieties from
 Morocco
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g66](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.msbcc2g66) The dataset contains two sheets, one dedicated to calculating initial and final fruit set and the second one desplays values of pericarp (g) endocarp (g) and kernel (g) in three almond varieties and depending on three different pollination treatments. ## Description of the data and file structure Fruit set: this sheet contains information needed to calculate initial and final fruit set for each studied almond variety and for each pollination treatment. Varieties: in this study, we have used three different almond varieties (Largueta, Espoir and Planeta). Trees: for each chosen tree we have used the designation 1 and 1' to indicate that two replications have been carried out for each pollination treatment. Treatments: three pollination treatments were conducted: Bagged : branches were enclosed with a fine-mesh net with a size of 1 mm² to prevent pollination by insects. Open : branches were left exposed and used as a control to test the success of pollination in nature provided by native pollinators and wind. Open+HP : branches remained open, and in addition, flowers were manually pollinated using a paint brush with another pollinator variety (Garrigues) to estimate the maximum potential for reproductive success of the crop. Number of flowers selected: this is the number of opened flowers calculated at the flowering stage. Initial fruit set: number of opened flowers turned into fruits (pollination success). Final fruit set: number of developed fruits (fruit development success ). Fruit quality: At fruit maturity, all fruits developed and persisting on the treated branches were harvested and sun-dried. After that, they were labelled and bagged individually according to the pollination treatment and variety. For each individual fruit, we weighed the pericarp, endocarp and kernel using a precision digital balance. ## Sharing/Access information All the data was manually collected and no other sources have been used.