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What is pollination and its types
What Is Pollination? Pollination is defined as the transfer of pollen grains from the anthers (male part) to the stigma (female part). The flower is reproductive part of plant in which male parts known as stamens and are made up of anther and filament. The female parts known as pistil or carpel, that contains stigma, style and ovary. The top of the pistil is called as stigma. Stigma is known to have sticky surface to receive and stick the pollen.
Agents of pollination
There are many different types of pollination in nature, and it is widely spread throughout the entire range of plant life. It can be rapid, ongoing, or slow, depending on the type of plant, and the pollinator. For example, bees make honey, flies hover over flowers, and windfalls collect pollen from the air. Each of these forms of pollination has its own particular characteristics, but they all occur freely in nature.
The other forms of pollination, which are more common to us in our daily lives are wind-dispersal, mutual pollination, and insect cross pollination. All of these examples involve insects moving from one plant to another, usually with the assistance of some kind of pollinator. Insects that are involved in this process are called pollinators. There are three agents involved here: wind, water, animals and explosion.
1. Wind
Wind-dispersal is defined as dispersal of pollen by wind. Anemophily is term used for wind pollination.
For example: cotton seeds are light and have small fluff around them and thus cotton seeds are carried by wind.
2. Animal or Insect
Many forms of pollination like mutual pollination where one insect is responsible for transferring pollen from male parts of a flower to female parts. The male part of the flower then transfers pollen to the female, and the process continues until there are no longer males around. Mutual pollination involves birds, as well as some insects like bees.
Pollination by ants are called as Myrmecophily. Pollination by insects are called as Entomophily. Pollination of flower by snakes is called as Ophiophily. Pollination by moth is called as phalaenophily. Pollination by bats are called as cleiropterophily. Pollination by birds and animals are called as ornithophily and zoophily respectively.
3. Water
Water plant seeds are dispersed by water. Example: coconut trees that grow near the coastal areas.
4. Explosion
When the fruits explode then seeds dispersed in all directions. Example: Fruits of pea, milkweed burst when they ripe and thus seeds dispersed.
Role of pollen in making new plants
One of the most important things to realize about pollen is that it is made up of very small particles. These particles are made up of amino acids that link together to form simple sugars (glucose) in the pollen. There are also carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and salts all contained in pollen. By studying the chemistry of these different components in pollen and understanding that they all play an important role in the growth and development of plants, we can understand more about the nature of pollination.
Artificial pollination
Artificial pollination, on the other hand, happens when artificial organisms or vehicles to transport pollen from a specific flower to another. There are several different types of artificial pollination, which include the use of Roles, Dungges, and Perennial Flowers. Roles are often used to replicate the natural movement of air. For example, the nectar from a forest tree is dispersed by birds using Roles. The birds help to distribute nectar from the flowers evenly throughout the plant.
Difference between cross pollination and self pollination
What is Self-Pollination in Plants?
Self-pollination is the process in which a plant grows its own pollen and not through the accumulation of external pollen. Normally, this happens at the blooming end of the year when there is abundance of pollen from flowering buds. However, plants also reproduce through other means such as the wind, insects and even the water.
Examples:
There are various types of plants that self-pollen including the bee’s bumble, the hairy vetch, the butterfly bush and the common sweet corn. The most commonly planted flowering plants that self-pollinate include the sunflowers, poppy and hydrangeas.
How does a plant self-pollinate?
There are two ways in which a flower can self-pollinate, one is when the flower grows on its own pollen and the second is when the pollen capsule is released by the flower. A non-flowering flower will normally grow in the same way as it would without releasing its pollen and if the flower were to stop growing, the pollen would soon die off, making the flower non-pollen. Some flowers, such as the sunflowers, will start to grow a little bit later each year so that they do not miss out on any blooming conditions.
Can Plants Self-pollinate?
Yes, they can, just as animals can. Animals can self-pollinate in many ways; some will actually gather nectar from flowers to feed their young. Other birds will catch the pollen before it gets to the hive and use it for themselves. In fact, bees have been found to be using nectar from flowers to help them with their reproduction process.
So how do plants self-pollinate? The first way in which plants reproduce is through wind. This may sound odd but some plants such as the gladioli actually use wind to get seeds to grow. If you get down to close to a flower in a garden, you may notice that the pollen comes out in fine grains. This is because the wind has carried the pollen to the seeds on its way down to the roots.
How about land plants?
Well, some land plants do actually reproduce through wind. The geranium, for example, will shoot up and grow in the direction that the wind blows. You can see this happening right before your eyes as the geranium grows towards the light.
How about fungi?
Fungi do actually reproduce and self-pollinate. Some of the more popular ones include shubbery, poinsettia, ivy, sago palms, and hydrangea. As with plants, certain fungi will actually attract and entice other fungi to engage in the reproduction process. This is how mushrooms get their spores to float around. And just like plants, certain fungi will self-destruct when the environmental conditions are right.
So, what is self-pollination in flowers and why does nature utilize this process?
To understand the answer to this question, you first have to look beyond the obvious answer – self-pollination. Flowers and plants actually use all of the natural pollinating processes in the world, so don’t write them off as being insignificant. Instead, recognize that they are one of the many ways that nature implements to ensure that there is food on the table for everyone. Even though we don’t directly control the environment in which they occur, we can still utilize the natural self-pollination processes.
Experiment on self pollination
Now that you know more about what is self-pollination in plants, start experimenting with your own garden today. Try out growing herbs, vegetables, and fruit on your own terrace or deck. Look around at your neighbors’ gardens and see if you can identify any wild plants that have self-developed pollen. The next time you want to go grocery shopping, ask a salesperson if you can take some of the pollen from their garden. You might find yourself learning more about what is self-pollination in plants than you ever thought possible.
What Is Cross Pollination In Plants?
Cross pollination is the action of two or more independent species bearing pollen in the same plant, and often happens when plants are in their later or initial stages of growth. The pollen from one species is carried by the wind, while the pollen from another species is carried by insects. These insects are called “hosts” and they are responsible for transporting the pollen to new locations. The “nectar” is created when the pollens touch the ground and this is what we call the “ossom.”
Examples
There are many types of cross pollination but the most common are Flowers and Fruits. In Flowers, there are many different kinds, for instance, Corals and Freshwater Aquarium Plants. In a fruit it can be Flowers, Fruit Bacteria or even seeds, the latter being the most important type of cross pollination. In both Flowers and Fruits there are Flowers that only bloom during a specific season of the year or if it is a wet season they bloom and the opposite seasons to flower in their place. This also means that different species of plants do not flower at the same time.
Ways of cross pollination
There are several ways that cross pollination occurs. One way is where one type of plant brings up pollen from another type of plant. This is commonly called as ‘syngling’. Another way is where pollen from one flower goes into another flower. Or, pollen from a flower can float down through the air to the next flower where it is received by the flowers’ leaves.
Effect of cross pollination on plants
When talking about cross pollination, it is necessary to know what the effect is on the pollination process, because otherwise it will have no effect on the plants. For example, pollen from a flower that blooms in May will have no effect on the flower in August or vice versa. Cross pollination is actually a good thing for the plants because it helps them reproduce.
It has been proven that having certain beneficial insects present during the pollination process can have a very positive effect on the pollination process and on the result. Examples of Beneficial Insects that could increase the fertility of a flower would be Male Hymenocera or Lacewings. Male Hymenocera can also help the growth of Acacia by reducing overcrowding and disease. Lacewings can provide the same benefit. They increase fertility in order to flower and provide color to the plant.
Effect of cross pollination on humans
What is Cross pollination in the plant world has a great impact on us. Not only is it good for the plants, it is also good for humans because it reduces the number of harmful insects we have around us. Also, when cross pollination occurs it makes the plants more colorful and adds a beautiful effect to any garden. Sometimes it is hard for some people to understand the effects of this type of pollination. Most people only think of the beneficial effects, but in truth, cross pollination can cause damage as well. It is very important to know how cross pollination is effected in your garden so you can take full advantage of the good things it can do to your plants.
What is Cross pollination in plants is very easy to recognize. The best way to determine if there is cross pollination happening to your garden is to take a close look at the flowers on your bouquets or if you have fruit or vegetables on your bushes. If you notice that they have any pollen on them then they have been affected by cross pollination. To keep an eye on what is happening with your plants, it is a good idea to have an eye witness. This person can not only tell you what is going on with your plants, but they can also tell you how many plants need to be planted in order for the effect to occur.
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