Pollen deprivation stimulates Honeybees Apis mellifera to induce early flowering in tomato plants

The intricate relationship between flowering Plants and pollinators is fundamental to crop production and ecosystem health. In the present study, we investigate a novel interaction aspect by examining the behavioral responses of pollen-stressed honeybee foragers (Apis mellifera) and their impact on the flowering phenology of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Plants have long been known to be able to detect and respond to changes in their environment accordingly. Here, we present physiological and biochemical evidence indicating that pollen-stressed honeybee foragers (Apis mellifera) accelerate the flowering phenology of tomato plants by rubbing the leaves' underside with their mid tarsi. Laboratory studies revealed that chemical changes from leaf damage induce a shift from the vegetative to the reproductive phase in tomato plants. Pollen-deprived honeybee foragers accelerate tomato plants' flowering by rubbing the lower surface of leaves with their mid-tarsi. The impact of this behavior was further explored by observing the interactions between pollen-deprived honeybee foragers and tomato plants in field settings. The results were astonishing; the tomato plants interacting with the pollen-stressed honeybees produced more flowers and fruits than those under control settings. This research highlights a previously unexplored dimension of pollination biology and the dynamic response of plants to biotic stimuli mediated by pollinator behavior. These findings reveal that farmers, for better crop management, can utilize the behaviors exhibited by honeybees in response to pollen stress. Furthermore, these findings contribute to our broader understanding of the ecological interactions and organisms' dynamic responses to environmental stressors.