Surveying, identification and characterization for the potential honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) pollen sources in the arid region of Riyadh-Saudi Arabia

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 15 Sayı: 1, 1 - 11, 31.07.2023

Abdulraouf Amro , Mohamed Omar Mohamed Ahmad Al Ghamdi

Öz

This study was conducted targeting identification and documentation of major
honeybee plants as pollen sources and their phenology in the central arid region
of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh). Pollen loads were collected using pollen traps and were
classified according to their color then traced back to plant species level.
Throughout the year, sixteen plant species belonging to 10 plant families has been
recorded and investigated by Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM). Asian mustard (Brassica tournefortii Gouan.) (15.91%), willow
wattle (Acacia salicina Lindl.) (15.17%), mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) (Sw.) DC.
(21.81%) and cat's head (Tribulus terresetris L. var. terrestris) (15.52%) were the
dominant sources of pollen. The period from May to July was found to be a
significant blooming period and the scarcity period was from December to March
in the study area. Color, size and shape of the potential pollen sources were
variable between different species. Beekeepers could trap pollen loads that were
collected from these sources during February, April and July, respectively. In
conclusion, wise use and rehabilitation of these potentially identified bee plant
species shall be considered in attempting beekeeping development.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Apis melllifera L., Forage Plants, Pollen grains, Brassica spp., Botanical sources

Teşekkür

The authors would like to thank the curators of the National Herbarium (RIY) in the Botany and Microbiology department for providing herbarium specimens. Thanks are also extended to the staff at the SEM, Structural Studies Research Service for providing the facilities.

Kaynakça

• Abd El Salam, E. H., Ali, M. A., & Ghazala, N. A. (2022). Evaluation of the Efficiency Different Types of Bee Pollen Collection Traps in Honey Bee Colonies during Summer Season. Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 30(1), 141-146. http://10.21608/AJS.2022.111909.1448.
• Abou-Shaara, H. F. (2015). Potential honey bee plants of Egypt. Cerceta˘ri Agronomice în Moldova, 48, 99–108. https://repository.uaiasi.ro/xmlui/handle/20.500.12811 /1530.
• Abou-Shaara, H. F., Ahmad A. Al-Ghamdi, & Abdelsalam, A. M. (2013). A suitability map for keeping honey bees under harsh environmental conditions using Geographical Information System. World Applied Sciences Journal, 22, 81099-1105. https://doi.org/ 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.22.08.7384.
• Adgaba, N., Alghamdi, A., Sammoud, R., Shenkute, A., Tadesse, Y., Ansari, M. J., Sharma, D., & Hepburn, C. (2017). Determining spatio-temporal distribution of bee forage species of Al-Baha region based on ground inventorying supported with GIS applications and Remote Sensed Satellite Image analysis. Saudi journal of biological sciences, 24, 1048–1055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.01.009.
• Agashe, S. N. (2021). Aerobiology for the Clinician: Basic and Applied Aspects, Pollen Sources, Pollen Calendars. In Textbook of Allergy for the Clinician, CRC Press, 49-68.
• Al-Ghamdi, A. A. (2007a). Evaluation of various honey bee foraging activities for identification of potential bee plants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Annals of Agricultural Science-Cairo, 52(2), 487.
• Al-Ghamdi, A. A. (2007b). Beekeeping and honey production in Saudi Arabia. Fifth Conference of Arab Beekeepers Association. Tripoli, Libya.
• Al-Ghamdi, A. (2009). Comprehensive study for the current beekeeping industry of imported and native honey bee in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Final report of project, AT-21- 39.
• Al-Ghamdi, A. A., Tadesse, Y., & Adgaba, N. (2020). Evaluation of major Acacia species in the nursery towards apicultural landscape restoration around Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 27(12), 3385-3389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.09.002.
• Al-Jabr, A. M., & Nour, M. E. (2001). Content of some Saudi honeys of pollen spectrum and sucrose. Journal of Agriculture Science, Mansoura University, 26: 4009- 4014.
• Alqarni, A. S. (2020). Differential foraging of indigenous and exotic honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) races on nectar-rich flow in a subtropical ecosystem. Insects, 11(4), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11040254.
• Alves, R. De França, & Dos Santos De Assis R. F. (2016). Arecaceae potential for production of monofloral bee pollen. Grana, 56(4), 294-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/00173134.2016.1239760.
• Amro, A. M. (2021). Pollinators and pollination effects on three canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars: A case study in Upper Egypt. Journal of King Saud University-Science, 33(1), 101240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2020.101240.
• Amro, A. M., Omar, M. O., & Ahmed, A. G. (2020). Impact of using pollen substitutes on performance of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies under harsh environmental conditions. Science and Animal Health, 8(3), 236-256. https://doi.org/10.15210/sah.v8i3.19992.
• Arien, Y., Dag, A., Yona, S., Tietel, Z., Cohen, T. L., & Shafir, S. (2020). Effect of diet lipids and omega-6: 3 ratio on honey bee brood development, adult survival and body composition. Journal of insect physiology, 124, 104074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104074.
• Asefa, M., Cao, M., He, Y., Mekonnen, E., Song, X., & Yang, J. (2020). Ethiopian vegetation types, climate and topography. Plant Diversity, 42(4), 302-311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2020.04.004.
• Begum, H. A., Iqbal, J., & Aziz, A. (2021). Characterization of pollen profile of Apis mellifera L. in arid region of Pakistan. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(5), 2964-2974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.035.
• Belay, A., Solomon, W. K., Bultossa, G., Adgaba, N., & Melaku, S. (2015). Botanical origin, colour, granulation, and sensory properties of the Harenna forest honey, Bale, Ethiopia. Food chemistery, 167, 213-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.080
• Bilisik, A., Cakmak, I., Saatcioglu, G., Bicakci, A., & Malyer, H. (2008). Spectrum of pollen collected by honey bees in bursa lowland area in high season. Uludag Bee Journal, 8(4), 143-148. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/uluaricilik/issue/53267 /162401
• Boesewinkel, F. D., & Bouman, F. (1984). The Seed: Structure. In Embryology of Angiosperms, 1ed. Johri, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, B.,567-610.
• Brodschneider,R.,&Crailsheim,K.(2010). Nutritionandhealthin honey bees. Apidologie, 41(3), 278-294.
• Collenette, S. (1999). Wild Flowers of Saudi Arabia. National Commission for Wild Life Conservation and Development (VCWCD), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 799.
• Da luz, C. F. P., Junior, G. L. B., Fonseca, R. L. S. E., & DE Sousa, P. R. (2010). Comparative pollen preferences by Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera L. of two colonies in Pará de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 82(2), 293-304.
• Denisow, B., Strzałkowska-Abramek, M., Bożek, M., & Jeżak, A. (2014). Ornamental Representatives of the Genus Centaurea L. as a Pollen Source for Bee Friendly Gardens. Journal of Apicultural Science, 58(2), 49-58. http://doi: 10.2478/jas-2014-0016
• Dimou, M., & Thrasyvoulou, A. (2007). A comparison of three methods for assessing the relative abundance of pollen resources collected by honey bee colonies. Journal of Apicultural Research, 46(3), 143-147.
• Dobson, H. E., & Bergström, G. (2000). The ecology and evolution of pollen odors. Plant System Evolution, 22(4), 63-87.
• Duncan, D. B. (1955). Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, 11(1), 1-42.
• Erdtman, G. (1954). An introduction to pollen analysis. Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. 239.
• Erdtman, G. (1960). The acetolysis method – a revised description. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift, 54, 561–564.
• Goodwin, M. (2012). Pollination of crops in Australia and New Zealand. The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. pp 121.
• Gosling, W. D., Miller, C. S., & Livingstone, D. A. (2013). Atlas of the tropical West African pollen flora. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 199, 1-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2013.01.003
• Khan, S. U., Zafar, M., Ahmad, M., Anjum, F., Sultana, S., Kilic, O., Ozdemir, F. A., Nazir, A., Yaseen, G., Aabidin, S. Z., & Abbas, Q. (2019). Pollen micromorphological analysis of tribe Acacieae (Mimosaceae) with LM and SEM techniques. Microscopy Research and Technique, 82(9), 1610-1620. http://doi:10.1002/jemt.23327
• Kirk, W. D. J. (1994). A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee Cardiff: International Bee Research Association, 54.
• Klein, S., Pasquaretta, C., He, X. J., Perry, C., Søvik, E., Devaud, J. M., & Lihoreau, M. (2019). Honey bees increase their foraging performance and frequency of pollen trips through experience. Scientific Reports. 9(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42677-x.
• Lau, P., Bryant, V., Ellis, J. D., Huang, Z. Y., Sullivan, J., Schmehl, D. R., Cabrera, A. R., & Rangel, J. (2019). Seasonal variation of pollen collected by honey bees (Apis mellifera) in developed areas across four regions in the United States. PLoS One, 14(6). e0217294. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217294.
• Mărgăoan, R., Özkök, A., Keskin, Ş., Mayda, N., Urcan, A.C., & Cornea-Cipcigan, M. (2021). Bee collected pollen as a value-added product rich in bioactive compounds and unsaturated fatty acids: A comparative study from Turkey and Romania. LWT, 149, p.111925.
• Mayda, N., Özkök, A., Ecem Bayram, N., Gerçek, Y.C., & Sorkun, K. (2020). Bee bread and bee pollen of different plant sources: Determination of phenolic content, antioxidant activity, fatty acid and element profiles. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 14, pp.1795-1809.
• Naghiloo, S., & Nikzat Siahkolaee, S. (2019). Does breeding system affect pollen morphology? A case study in Zygophylloideae (Zygophyllaceae). Plant Reproduction, 32(4), 381-390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-019- 00379-4.
• Rouhakhsh, H., Davarynejad, G., Abedi, B., & Rahemi, M. (2014). Pollen grain morphological characteristics of ten Iranian jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) cultivars by using scanning electron microscopy. Advances in Environmental Biology, 1333-1339.
• SAS Institute, (2004). The SAS System (Version 9.1.3). SAS Institute, Cary, NC.
• Semerdjieva, I., Yankova-Tsvetkova, E., Baldjiev, G., & Yurukova-Grancharova, P. (2011). Pollen and seed morphology of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae). Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment, 25(2), 2379-2382.
• Shawer, M. B., Taha, E. K. A., Mousa, K. M., Khan, K. A., Ibrahim, S., Hassan, S., & Elnabawy, E. S. M. (2021). Seasonal variations of colony activities linked to morphometric and glands characterizations of hybrid Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann) workers. Journal of King Saud University-Science, 33(6), 101543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2021.101543.
• Suryanarayana, M. C., Rao, G. M., & Singh, T. S. M. S. (1992). Studies on pollen sources for Apis cerana Fabr and Apis mellifera L. bees at Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. Apidologie, 23(1), 33-46.
• Taha, E. K. A. (2015). A study on nectar and pollen sources for honey bee, Apis mellifera L. in Al- Ahsa Saudi Arabia. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 3(3), 272- 277.
• Taha, E. K. A., Al-Kahtani, S. N., & Taha, R. (2019). Protein content and amino acids composition of bee-pollens from major floral sources in Al-Ahsa, eastern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 26 (2), 232– 237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.06.003
• Umber, F., Zafar, M., Ullah, R., Bari, A., Khan, M. Y., Ahmad, M., & Sultana, S. (2021). Implication of light and scanning electron microscopy for pollen morphology of selected taxa of family Asteraceae and Brassicaceae. Microscopy Research and Technique, 85(1), 373-384. https://doi.org/10.1002/jemt.23912.
• Yankova-Tsvetkova, E., Semerdjieva, I., Baldjiev, G., & Yurukova-Grancharova, P. (2011). On the reproductive biology of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae): embryological features; pollen and seed viability. Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, 25(2), 2383-2387. https://doi.org/10.5504/BBEQ.2011.0030
• Zaitoun, S., Al-Ghzawi, A. A. M., Samarah, N., & Mullen, R. (2009). Pod production of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. As affected by supplementary and honey bee pollination under arid conditions. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section B–Soil and Plant Science, 59(4), 349-356. https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710802227072