Data from: Pollination treatment affects fruit set and modifies marketable and storable fruit quality of commercial apples

Insect-mediated pollination increases yields of many crop species and some evidence suggests that it also influences crop quality. However, the mechanistic linkages between insect-mediated pollination and crop quality are poorly known. In this study, we explored how different pollination treatments affected fruit set, dry matter content (DMC), mineral content and storability of apples. Apple flowers supplementary pollinated with compatible pollen resulted in higher initial fruit set rates, higher fruit DMC and a tendency for lower fruit K:Ca ratio than flowers that received natural or no pollination. These variables are related to desirable quality aspects, since higher DMC is connected to higher consumer preference and lower K:Ca ratio is related to lower incidence of postharvest disorders during storage. Using structural equation modelling, we showed an indirect effect of pollination treatment on storability, however mediated by complex interactions between fruit set, fruit weight and K:Ca ratio. The concentrations of several elements in apples (K, Zn, Mg) were affected by the interaction between pollination treatment and apple weight, indicating that pollination affects element allocation into fruits. In conclusion, our study shows that pollination and the availability of compatible pollen needs to be considered in the management of orchard systems, not only to increase fruit set, but also to increase the quality and potentially the storability of apples.

昆虫介导的授粉（Insect-mediated pollination）可提升多种作物的产量，且已有证据表明其同时对作物品质存在影响。然而，昆虫授粉与作物品质之间的机制性关联仍鲜为人知。本研究探讨了不同授粉处理对苹果坐果率、干物质含量（dry matter content, DMC）、矿质元素含量及贮藏性的影响。结果显示，与自然授粉或未授粉的苹果花相比，经亲和性花粉辅助授粉的花，其初始坐果率更高，果实干物质含量也更高，且果实钾钙比（K:Ca ratio）呈现出降低的趋势。上述指标均与优良品质性状密切相关：更高的干物质含量对应消费者更高的偏好度，而更低的钾钙比则与贮藏期采后生理紊乱发生率更低相关。本研究通过结构方程模型（structural equation modelling）揭示了授粉处理对贮藏性的间接效应，该效应通过坐果率、果实重量与钾钙比之间的复杂相互作用介导。苹果中钾（K）、锌（Zn）、镁（Mg）等多种元素的浓度受授粉处理与果实重量间交互作用的影响，表明授粉会影响元素向果实中的分配。综上，本研究表明，在果园管理体系中需兼顾授粉与亲和性花粉的供给，这不仅是为了提升坐果率，更是为了改善苹果的品质及其潜在的贮藏性能。