APPLICATION OF ELECTROSTATICS IN ARTIFICIAL POLLINATION IN AGRICULTURE

S.K. DIPAK¹*, L. RINJU², D. DHALIN³, P.S. JAMES^4
1Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, KCAET, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 679 573, India
²Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, KCAET, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 679 573, India
³Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, 695 522, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 679 573, India
⁴Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, KCAET, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 679 573, India
* Corresponding Author : dipakkhatawkar@gmail.com

Received : 21-08-2019     Accepted : 13-02-2020     Published : 15-02-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 3       Pages : 9485 - 9489
Int J Agr Sci 12.3 (2020):9485-9489

Keywords : Electrostatic spraying, Drift, Pollination, Artificial pollination
Academic Editor : Dr Berin Pathrose
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to CSIR-HRDG, New Delhi and Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, KCAET, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 679 573, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Electrostatic forces have been successfully incorporated in many industrial fields while working with particulate materials, which need to be deposited on target uniformly and minimizing the off-target movement (drift) resulting in wastage of material. This basic concept has been already introduced in automobile paint industries, electrostatic spraying systems (ESS) and dust settlement solutions etc. Pollen grains are immobile, hence cannot reach the stigma by themselves. Therefore, an external agent is required for transfer these pollen grains onto the stigma, which can be wind, water, animal, gravity or growth contact. Many plants are wind pollinated, e.g. grasses, small grain crops, and conifers, whereas some species rely on animals, primarily insects, to carry pollen from flower to flower. The idea of using electrostatic charge in artificial pollination is significantly promising and has shown positive results to primary investigations done by many of the researchers in this field. The concept of electrostatic non-contact detachment and deposition of charged pollens in plant pollination ensures less physical damage to pollen; therefore, it has better potential to increase the fruit set and its quality. Moreover, the system may be reliable, economic and much convenient while dealing with pollination of larger orchards, which is a very tedious job while working with manual method.

1. Timerman D. (2013) MSc thesis, Concordia University, Canada, 106.
2. Yang C. and Guo Y. (2005) Chinese Sci. Bull., 50(21), 2413-2417.
3. Vaknin Y., Eisikowitch D., Gan-Mor S. and Bechar A. (2001) 11th GREMPA Seminar on Pistachios and Almonds. Zaragoza, CIHEAM, 53-57.
4. Vaknin Y., Gan-Mor S., Bechar A. and Ronen B. (2001) New Phytologist, (151), 301-306.
5. Hii M.J. (2004) Ph.D. (Chem. and Process Engg.) thesis, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, 323.
6. Lawrence T. (2015) Washington State University, FS174E,1-9.
7. Luca P. and Mario M. (2013) Current Opinion in Plant Biol., (16),1-7.
8. Gan-Mor S., Schwartzi Y., Bechar A. and Eisikowitch D. (1995) Can. Agric. Engg., 37(3),189-194.
9. Vaknin Y., Gan-Mor S., Bechar A. and Ronen B. (2000) Plant Syst. Evol., (222), 133-142.
10. Badger M., Victor O. and Ashley S. (2015) Research Article, University of Nebraska, 11.
11. Clarke D., Whitney H. and Daniel R. (2013) Sci. Express, 1-7.
12. Bowker G.E. and Crenshaw H.C. (2006a) Atmospheric Environment, (41),1587-1595.
13. Bowker G.E. and Crenshaw H.C. (2006b) Atmospheric Environment, (41), 1596-1603.
14. Monique P. and Lemay P. (2008) The Forestry Chronicle, 84(1),95-104.