Pollination without bees. The following articles has caught my attention. The potential for pollination without bees could usually equate to producing seedless citruses. Citrus is one of the crops that can benefit from the use of Flower Power developed by Stoller USA. They have HQ in Houston Texas and have offices in Colorado.

We have news about the series of disaster befalling on honey bees, and now the bumble bees are affected in still more recent news. This new product could offer some hope when it comes to fruit production, but without the production of honey.

Here's the info about the product:
http://stollerusa.com/products/pdfs/PRODUCT_PDF_LABEL_7.pdf

Here's a listing of all their products:
http://www.stollerusa.com/php/listAllProducts.php

Here's the news about Fruit Production without Honey Bee Pollination:
http://www.farms.com/news/readstory.asp?storyid=12443


Flower Power™ Develops Fruit Without Honey Bee Pollination
By:

10/1/2007 --

HOUSTON – StollerUSA announced today the early results of an ongoing Penn State University study indicating that Flower Power™, a product with crop growth and flower-enhancing properties, can significantly increase productivity of yellow squash crops.
Dr. Orzolek, of the Horticulture Department at Penn State University, conducted a replicated experiment in high tunnels on yellow squash designed to test whether squash fruit could be developed without bee pollination. The control treatment had research plots of squash exposed to bees, whereas the plots with weekly foliar applications of Flower Power were covered to eliminate bee pollination.
Fruit quantity was equal in both plots by the middle of July 2007. Two weeks later however, during the hottest part of the summer when cucurbitaceae crop plants normally produce less fruit than under cooler conditions, both the control (bee pollinated) and Flower Power-treated plots were inspected for the number of flowers that had developed into fruit on each plant. There were four times as many fruit on the Flower Power-treated plants than the control plants.
“Flower Power appears to increase the natural activity of auxin in all flowers, resulting in increased flower production but more surprisingly, increased fruit production without bee pollination,” said Orzolek. “This, in turn, will increase the consistency and yield of crops.”
In addition to the increased fruit and flower development found in the study, producers and bee keepers have reported an increase in honey bee activity and substantially increased honey production in fields of crops such as apples treated with Flower Power.
“As honey bee populations are threatened, Flower Power is projected to become a significant benefit to crop producers and bee keepers,” said Jerry Stoller, president of StollerUSA. “You can’t control Mother Nature, but with Flower Power you can help control the effects of Mother Nature on your crop.”
StollerUSA’s recommended Flower Power application is three pints per acre every 10 to 14 days for stronger pollination and flower development, improved fruit set and increased yield.
In agribusiness for more than 35 years, Stoller markets a full line of products to help growers increase crop yield and quality. StollerUSA, headquartered in Houston, is actively researching and developing micronutrients and other products in more than 50 countries. For more information, please visit www.stollerusa.com.


And earlier news from the company:
http://keylate.com/mediaCenter/08-17-07.html

STOLLERUSA DEVELOPS REVOLUTIONARY AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

HOUSTON (August 17, 2007) — StollerUSA, a Houston-based company, has provided producers alternative solutions to important agricultural problems for more than 35 years.

Jerry Stoller, president and CEO, founded StollerUSA in 1970. A notable agronomy expert, Stoller has been involved in international soil science research for more than 40 years and won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1998. He became convinced that understanding and controlling a plant’s reaction to stress was an important key to unlocking each plant’s genetic potential.

In the mid 1990s, Stoller began experimenting with and researching the genetic expression of plants. The revolutionary technology produced from this research took the guesswork out of maintaining healthy crops and improving yields through the management of plant hormone levels in conjunction with more traditional nutrition practices. While traditional nutrients work at a level producers can see and are commonly understood, StollerUSA products allow producers to understand the things they can’t see at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. Now producers are able to address the single greatest threat to their crops: weather.

“Just like humans, plants require correct hormonal balances and micronutrients like zinc and iron,” said Stoller. “Our products correct hormonal imbalances and micronutrient deficiencies that are largely ignored by other agricultural companies and seemingly, the industry in general.”

One innovative StollerUSA product, Bio-Forge™, an anti-oxidant with growth-enhancing properties, increases the yield potential of drought-stressed crops by affecting key genes associated with drought resistance.

“Extensive research indicates that plants treated with Bio-Forge have a significantly higher endurance level for drought conditions and an increased survival rate,” said Ron Salzman, StollerUSA bioscience director at Texas A&M University.

Bio-Forge reduces the effects of drought in all crops within 5-6 days after application, minimizing any loss and often increasing yields significantly as shown in university research.

Flower Power™ is another example of StollerUSA’s ability to offer original solutions to common problems. Flower Power improves quality and increases yield by improving plant pollination. As honeybee populations continue to decline due to disease, Flower Power offers producers another path to improved crop pollination and increased yields.

“Enhancing a plant’s own genetic potential helps take crop production to a higher level,” Stoller said. “It increases quality and marketable yield, with a corresponding reduction in unit production cost for an improved total return on investment. This is the best defense in an increasingly competitive and economically challenging market environment.”

As producers experience success with StollerUSA products they begin to understand the technology and their crops in a new way and achieve a level of control an success they cound only hope for in the past. Currently, StollerUSA products are offered around the world and for a wide variety of crops from coffee to corn. In order to meet the worldwide demand for these products, StollerUSA employs 370 people, including 70 agronomists around the globe.

In agribusiness for more than 35 years, StollerUSA markets a full line of products to help growers increase crop yield and quality. StollerUSA, headquartered in Houston, is actively researching and developing micronutrients and other products in more than 50 countries.

Early pre-bloom sprays to enhance fruit production in Citrus is traditionally accomplished by Potassium Nitrate foliar sprays and ground nitrogen applications.- Millet

potassium nitrate foliar sprays at the proper time are known to induce blooming and enhance fruit production in mangoes long before it found its own similar application to citruses.

But the Foliar Power seems to be new in that it does not use potassium nitrate for similar effect. The other effect is fruit set which is higher with Flower Power.

Here's the guaranteed analysis of their product and look closely at the ingredients:

http://stollerusa.com/products/pdfs/PRODUCT_PDF_LABEL_7.pdf


The bottom line then is which is cheaper to use?

Actually, my favorite "pollinator" for seedless fruit is Gibberellic Acid. 1 ounce per gallon. Gibberellic Acid works amazingly well. - Millet

I believe the recommended rate is 10 PPM for blooms, but I could be wrong as I have not calculated it since last springs use. Your basing your PPM on 100% pure Gib. - Millet