Mechanized Pollen Harvesting in Larch Seed Orchards
In French seed orchards, artificial pollination is being developed for mass production of seed of hybrid larch (Larix eurolepis Henry). A mechanized pollen harvester is currently used to collect large quantities of pollen directly from grafts. A hinged Plexiglas® tank carried at the front of a tractor is shut around the tree and pollen is shocked out of the male strobili. Bursts of air cause semirigid plastic tubes inside the tank to whip the branches, releasing the pollen. Then the pollen is sucked into the filtration unit at the rear of the tractor. This harvester has been operating satisfactorily since 1988. In a good flowering year (1992), it collected on the average of 145 g (5.1 ounces) of pollen per hour, which represents the output of 10 male-catkin pickers. Moreover, this machine also proved quite efficient in a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seed orchard. Tree Planters' Notes 44(4): 141-145;1993.
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Author(s): Patrick Baldet, Gwenael Philippe
Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volumes 44, Number 4 (1993)
Section: Equipment Tips
Volume: 44
Number: 4
