This article explains how to use the SmartBumblebee App that helps the fruit growth of tomatoes for iOS to enhance the effect.
You can download this app from the App Store.
What kind of App is SmartBumblebee?
This is an application that helps the fruit growth of tomatoes by using the vibration function of the iPhone device.
- This app helps pollinating tomato flowers by replacing the bumblebees action of vibrating tomato flowers and collecting pollen.
- Users can save the information regarding usage (ie. Date, amount of vibration, memos, and photos) to manage the work history and to keep track for future improvement of the pollination process.
＊this app can also be used to pollinate other vegetables (ie. eggplants and peppers)
Mechanism of fruit set on tomatoes
Why is pollination necessary?
Structure of tomato flowers and how they are pollinated
pollen：
Tomato pollen is produced only inside the tubular ovary
pistil (stigma)：
The pistil (stigma) is also inside the cylinder, and pollination is completed without going out of it.
Mechanism of vibration of tomato flowers and improvement of pollination efficiency
Since the stigma of tomato flowers blooms downwards, the pollen falls down by vibrating the flower, and then pollinating and fruiting on the stigma.
Fruit set of tomatoes and use of bumblebees
Some tomato farmers use bumblebees to increase yields.
When tomato pollen falls from the tip of the flower, it adheres to the stigma (pistil) and helps pollination.
Actual pollination of tomato flowers by bumblebees
A bumblebee buzz-pollinates a tomato flower by Alex M. Murphy, Sanjie Jiang, and John P. Carr is licensed under CC
How to improve pollination effect
Check the vibration characteristics of the device used
- Check which part of your phone vibrates the strongest.
- most iPhone devices vibrate the strongest at the bottom.
- Touch the target(flower part) and vibrate it using this part of the phone.
How to process using this app
Touch the device at the base stem of the flower bunch to vibrate it.
If there are only a few flowers in the bunch, only target and process them.
When does pollination work effectively?
In seasons with a minimum temperature of 10°C or higher and a maximum temperature of 35°C or lower
Weather on the day of pollination
Use on sunny or cloudy weather, avoid processing on rainy days
The time period for pollination
State of tomato bunches ready to process
The pollination process starts when the flower at the root is available and continues at a certain period until the flower at the tip has completed pollination.
State of tomato flowers that can be pollinated
Frequency of pollination
Summer：(daily average temperature is 20°C or higher)
Spring and Autumn：(daily average temperature is 20°C or higher)
How tomato flower clusters appear
Pollinate by vibrating all flowers under conditions of 10-35°C outside
What you need to do to ensure the effect
Good tomato growth is required for pollination
Take necessary care to ensure good growth before pollination.
Typical causes of poor growth：
- The temperature during cultivation is too low
Insufficient fertilizer(re:extra fertilizer use)
Insufficient irrigation
roots are damaged due to long rains period
Extremely low period of sunny days
Disease and pest outbreaks
How to check the effect
How to check if the fruit has settled after processing
Flowers that have completed fruit set
・When fruit set is complete, the ovary (fruit part) becomes glossy and swelling (7 mm or more)
The estimated period from after treatment (flowering) to confirmation of fruit set :
Summer (daily average temperature is 20°C or higher)
After treatment 4 to 6 days
Spring and Autumn (daily average temperature is 10 to 20°C)
After treatment 5 to 7 days
Thank you for visiting our website enjoy your tomato life.
Happy Tomating !!
