Strawberry varieties differ in the emission of floral volatiles and wild bee visitation

Aim was to identify differences in the emission of floral volatiles of three strawberry varieties and relate this to the perception and visitation of the wild bee Osmia bicornis. Floral volatiles of the simultaneously flowering strawberry varieties Sonata, Honeoye and Darselect were collected in a greenhouse using head space collection and analysed using GC-MS. The response of the wild bee Osmia bicornis on each of the found compounds was assessed using EAGs. On a commercial strawberry field, the visitation of Osmia bicornis on the two varieties Sonata and Honeoye was observed.