Investigação da liberação de pólen em anteras poricidas utilizando modelo de bilhar

Abstract

In this work, we describe buzz pollination through a mathematical model known as billiard model. To this end, we used the formalism of such models combined with an approximation of the morphology of the anthers of Solanum lycopersicum and the vibration data recorded for Bombus terrestris bees. Thus, we consider a rectangular model with an escape in its upper wall, which undergoes oscillations in its sidewalls, which are described by the vibration properties of B. terrestris. Within such a model, we consider pollen grains as noninteracting particles that can escape through the pore. We evaluated our model based on theoretical and empirical data for buzz pollination present in the literature. From our model, we were able to reproduce the patterns of vibration and pollen release found in nature. With this result, we were able to discover that the vibrational component with the greatest influence on pollen release is velocity. This result is an important finding given the difficulty in analyzing the behavior of pollen grains inside the anther from the vibration of the bee. In addition, it also highlighted the simplification in the study of the vibrational components that our model provides.