Role of insect pollinators in seed yield of coriander (Coriandrum sativum l.) and their electroantennogram response to crop volatiles

Seven insect species belonging to five families underthree orders were recorded on blooms of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in the district of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal. Among hymenopterans, Apis cerana had the maximum abundance. Peak activity of the insects on the crop blooms was observed during 10–11 a.m. Effect of pollination by A. cerana on the fruit set and mean weight of 100 seeds revealed these parameters to be significantly (p<0.01) higher in open pollinated plants over bagged inflorescence by 136.22 and 23.20 per cent, respectively. Pollination increased germinability of the resulting seeds by 78.94 per cent. Electroantennogram responses to a wide range of plant volatile compounds of C. sativum were recorded on A. cerana. Linalool, 1-heptanol and citral compounds of C. sativum were observed acting as important cues for A. cerana to locate the crop plant.