Pollination methods for watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)) fruit setting and yield

# POLLINATION METHODS FOR WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.)) FRUIT SETTING AND YIELD- Dumre’s Research Group [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7h44j102q](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7h44j102q) ## **Summary of Experiment dataset** This dataset consists of two sheets containing observations from experiments aimed at evaluating the foraging behavior and speed of the pollinator species, as well as the reproductive attributes (including fruit set and yield) of various plant varieties under different pollination conditions. ## **Description of File Structure and Contents** #### **Sheet 1: Foraging Behavior Data** The first sheet captures data related to the foraging behavior of *Apis mellifera* and *Apis cerena* across different time periods within a day. The columns include: * Species: The species of the pollinator observed (e.g., Apis mellifera). * week: The week during which the observations were made. * Days: The specific day of observation within the week. * Abundance: The abundance of the pollinator observed during different time slots (8-10 am, 12-2 pm, 4-6 pm). * Foraging speed Male flower (seconds/flower): The foraging speed observed on male flowers during different time slots (8-10 am, 12-2 pm, 4-6 pm). * Foraging speed female flower (seconds/flower): The foraging speed observed on female flowers during different time slots (8-10 am, 12-2 pm, 4-6 pm). * Foraging rate (flowers/bee/minute): The rate of foraging activity recorded during different time slots (8-10 am, 12-2 pm, 4-6 pm). ### **Sheet 2: Reproductive Attributes Data** The second sheet includes data related to the reproductive attributes of different plant varieties under various pollination conditions. The columns include: * REPLICATION: Replication number of the experiment. * VARIETY: The variety of the plant. (S = Saraswati variety, V = Vishala) * POLLINATION: The type of pollination applied (e.g., controlled, open). C = control; B = bee; H = hand pollination; O = open pollination * no. of female flowers: Number of female flowers observed. * female flowers: Female flowers per plant. * fruit set: Number of fruits set. * fruit set%: Percentage of fruit set. * flower drop: Number of flowers that dropped. * flower pp: Flowers per plant. * fruit pp: Fruits per plant. * healthy fruits: Number of healthy fruits. * hf %: Percentage of healthy fruits. * df%: Percentage of distorted fruits. * weight: Weight of the fruit (kg). * length: Length of the fruit (cm). * girth: Girth of the fruit (cm). * ratio: Ratio of length to girth. * seeds per fruit: Number of seeds per fruit. * 100 seed weight: Weight of 100 seeds (g). **Other Sources** The data was derived from direct observations and measurements taken during the experimental period.