EVALUATING HONEY BEE PRODUCTS AS AN INDICATOR OF MANAGED POLLINATION STUDIES: A CASE STUDY ABOUT ALLIUM CEPA L

Abstract

Allium cepa (onion) is a monocotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Liliaceae. Although self-pollination frequently occurs, most plants are highly self-incompatible. There are several studies about the managed honeybees increasing the seed yield of onion.In this study, the honey bee products which were obtained from the hives located in the onion fields examined. The honeybees were managed by the producers to increase seed yield. Our aim was to evaluate the composition of honey and honeybee pollen to decide if the honeybees foraged on Allium cepa or on the other plants during the flowering time of onion. As a result of the melissopalynological analysis, it was determined that Liliaceae pollen was minor with the ratio of 7,2 % in honey and not found in honeybee sample

Keywords

• Allium cepa,pollination,melissopalynology,honeybee pollen

References

1. [1] V. Kuete, Other health benefits of african medicinal spices and vegetables, in Medicinal spices and vegetables from Africa, Elsevier, (2017) 329-349.
2. [2] FAO, (2017), Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations.
3. [3] J. Free, Insect pollination of crops. Acad, Press, London-New York, (1993) 172-180.
4. [4] A. Sajjad, S. Saeed, A. Masood, Pollinator community of onion (Allium cepa L.) and its role in crop reproductive success. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 40(6), (2008) 451-456.
5. [5] D.P.Abrol, Foraging behaviour of Apis florea f., an important pollinator of Allium cepa L., Journal of Apicultural Research, 49(4) (2010) 318-325.
6. [6] L. Somme, M. Vanderplanck, D. Michez, I. Lombaerde, R. Moerman, B. Wathelet, R. Wattiez, G. Lognay, A.L. Jacquemart, Pollen and nectar quality drive the major and minor floral choices of bumble bees. Apidologie, 46(1), (2015) 92-106.
7. [7] L.D. Knopper, T. Dan, D. D. Reisig, J. D. Johnson, L. M. Bowers, Sugar concentration in nectar: A quantitative metric of crop attractiveness for refined pollinator risk assessments. Pest management science, 72(10), (2016) 1807-1812.
8. [8] K. Sorkun, Türkiye'nin nektarlı bitkileri, polenleri ve balları. Palme Yayıncılık, (2008).

9. [9] R.P.Wodehouse, Pollen grains. Their structure, identification and significance in science and medicine. Pollen grains. Their structure, identification and significance in science and medicine, (1935).
10. [10] F.C.Pellett, American honey plants. Orange Judd., (1947).
11. [11] A.C. Andrada, M.C. Tellería, Pollen collected by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) from south of Caldén district (Argentina): Botanical origin and protein content. Grana, 44(2), (2005) 115-122.
12. [12] C. Ozenirler, N.P. Barkan, K. Sorkun, Aspir (Carthamus tinctorius L.) remzibey-05 bitkisi poleninin bal arılarının beslenme ekonomileri açısından İncelenmesi. Sinop Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 1(2), (2016) 69-80.
13. [13] G. Erdtman, Handbook of palynology: Morphology, taxonomy, ecology: An introduction to the study of pollen grains and spores. Munksgaard Copenhagen, (1969).
14. [14] V. Markgraf, H. d'Antoni, Pollen Flora of Argentina, Tucson: Arizona, University of Arizona Press VIII, (1978) 208 .
15. [15] P.D.Moore, J.A.Webb, M.E. Collison, Pollen analysis. Blackwell Scientific Publications, (1991).
16. [16] G.R. D'Albore, Textbook of melissopalynology. Apimondia Publishing House, (1997).
17. [17] K. Faegri, P.E. Kaland, K. Krzywinski, Textbook of pollen analysis. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., (1989).
18. [18] J. Louveaux, A. Maurizio, G. Vorwohl, Methods of Melissopalynology. Bee world, 59 (4), (1978) 139-157.