Diversity of Guizotia abyssinica pollinators and their effect on seed quality in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia

摘要

Guizotiaabyssinica(L.f.)isoneoftheindigenousoilcropstoEthiopia.AflowerofG.abyssinicaopensandliberatespollenearlyinthemorning,whilethestyleemergesaboutmiddayandtheplantisthusbasicallyself-sterile,althoughself-pollinationhasbeenrecorded.G.abyssinicaisacrosspollinatedcropwithcrosspollinationpercentagerangingfrom0to100%.However,pollinationstudiesonG.abyssinicaareverylimitedandtheroleofhoneybeesforpollinationofthelocalfarmingsystemsisstillpoorlyunderstood.Hence,thisstudywasdesignedtodeterminetheeffectofhoneybeeandotherinsectpollinationonseedqualityofG.abyssinicaandtoraisetheawarenessabouthoneybeepollinationservicesamongtheG.abyssinicaseedgrowers.ThestudywasconductedatMekelleAgriculturalResearchCenter.Itwasconductedinacompleterandomizedblockdesign(RCBD)withthreetreatmentsandfourreplicationsinanexperimentalplotsizeof3m×3m.Thetreatmentswerecropscagedwithhoneybee,cagedwithouthoneybeeandopenpollinated.Thehighestgerminationratewasfoundinplantscagedwithhoneybees(86.2%)followedbyopenpollinated(79%),whilethelowestgerminationratewasfoundinplantsexcludedfrominsects(60.5%).Themodeofpollinationhadnoeffecton1000seedweight,oilandmoisturecontentofG.abyssinicaseeds.