Article

Modem erops in Israel stem from two main sourees: domestieation of loeal wild plants, and aeclimation of erops from other sourees. Seleetion is usually direeted towards higher and better yields, in aeeordanee with elimate, diseases and, more reeently, market demands. PolIination of the targeted erops is stilI negleeted, partly beeause some of the oldest of them are wind pollinated, some are selfers, and some parthenoearpie. Among the older, loeally domestieated erops some continue to be totally dependent on bee pollination, and were probably seleeted without the grower's awareness of the loeal bees' eontribution. However, replacement of the loeal honey-bee Apis mellifera syriaca by the more docile but less adapted A. m. ligustica, and destruetion of the native solitary bees' habitats, ereated areai erisis in loeal erops sue h as almonds, prunes, and many others. An even more serious problem has oeeurred with introdueed plants, whieh were seleeted in their native habitats where they had eo-evolved with their loeal polIinators. The interrelationship between the loeal pollinators' eeology and the erop's eharaeters (blooming period, flower morphology, neetar flow) is, therefore, an important variable to be eonsidered by the erop seleetor and breeder.