The Beneficial Effects of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) as a Potential Pollinator on Quantitative and Qualitative Yield Parameters of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Yıl 2026, Cilt: 23 Sayı: 2, 652 - 662, 16.03.2026

Abdulraouf Amro , Mostafa Seddik

https://doi.org/10.33462/jotaf.1691139

https://izlik.org/JA25JD95RK

Öz

A field study was conducted at the experimental station of the Bee Research Department, Naqada region, Qena Governorate, Egypt, during the 2024 sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) flowering season. This research aimed to identify the insect pollinator community associated with sunflower plants, particularly honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), to evaluate their foraging ecology and quantify their effects on H. annuus yield parameters. The study implemented three pollination scenarios: open pollination (OP), allowing full insect pollinator access; managed honey bee-only (MHO), providing exclusive A. mellifera pollination within an isolated netted plot containing one colony; and non-pollinated (NP) plants, where pollinators were excluded using insect-proof mesh cages. Hymenoptera included the main pollinators (90%) especially A. mellifera, which recorded the most abundant pollinator (78%). The peak foraging activity of A. mellifera on sunflowers recorded at 9 am (excluding January 18), declined by midday (12 pm), and was lowest in the afternoon (3 pm). A. mellifera foragers exhibited significantly longer mean visitation durations (seconds capitulum) during mid-February compared to late February under OP conditions. Sunflowers under OP condition yielded the most seeds per plant head (565.67 head⁻¹), surpassing MHO (450.67 head⁻¹) and NP (241.33 head⁻¹). The NP group had statistically significant lower yield parameters (head weight per plant, number of seeds per head, 100-seed weight (g.), seed yield (t ha-1), seed set, oil content % and seed germination %) than the OP and/or MHO. The difference in seed yield, weight, oil content% and germination% between OP and MHO pollination conditions was statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). However, MHO exhibited superior seed setting compared to OP and NP, recording 93.78%, 89.00 and 26%, respectively. Our results concluded that MHO plays a significant role in sunflower pollination, leading to substantial improvements in yield parameters compared to NP. However, they might not fully compensate for the absence of other pollinators in terms of the number of seeds per head and head weight.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Sunflower , Pollination , Foraging behavior , Seed set , Oil content

Etik Beyan

There is no need to obtain permission from the ethics committee for this study.

Kaynakça

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