Managed honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) increase onion (Alliun cepa) seed yield and quality

摘要

Nearly75%oftheworld#8217;sfloweringplantsaredependentoninsectsforpollination,withhoneybeesbeingwellknownfortheirimportanceforseveralcrops.TheeffectofmanagedhoneybeepollinationononionseedyieldandqualitywasinvestigatedthroughpollinatorexclusionandpollinatorsurveysononionfieldplotsatMekelleAgriculturalResearchCenterexperimentalfarm.Thetreatmentswere:plotsaccessibletoallflowervisitors(CTL);plotsnotaccessibletoanyinsects#8211;theplotswerecoveredwithaninsectproofmeshcagebeforetherayfloretsstartedopening(NI);nbsp;plotsaccessibleonlytohoneybees#8211;theplotswerecoveredwithaninsectproofmeshcageandahoneybeecolonywithfourframeswasplacedinsidethecageduringthefloweringpeak(HB).Insectproofmeshcages(5mx3mand2.5mhigh)weremadeofwoodcoveredwith20%shadecloth.Allinsectswereremovedfromallthecagesbeforeblooming,toexcludeunwantedpollinators.Honeybeecoloniesusedinthisexperimentreceivedsupplementaryfeeding(dissolvedsugar)andwaterbeforeandaftertheynbsp;wereplacedinthecages.Openpollinationtreatmentsespeciallywithhoneybeesincreasedonionseedquantityandquality.