Why do vanilla flowers need hand pollination and how is it done?

Vanilla needs hand pollination because the natural pollinator insect is not present in India, so without you the flower will not set a bean. Each flower opens for only part of a single morning, so you must pollinate it that morning, usually between about 8 and 11 am. Using a small pointed stick or toothpick you lift the flap called the rostellum and press the pollen onto the stigma. A trained worker can pollinate a few hundred flowers in a morning. Do not over set every flower on a vine, leave a balanced number of beans so the vine is not exhausted and bean size stays good. This daily hand work during flowering season is the main labour cost in vanilla, so plan labour before you plant.