Foraging and pollination behavior of Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Glycine max L. (Fabaceae) flowers at Maroua
Abstract
To assess the impact of Apis mellifera adansonii on pod and seed yields of Glycine max, its foraging and pollinating activities were studied in Maroua, during the two season seasons (August-September 2010 and 2011). Observations were made on 51 to 17866 flowers per treatment. Treatment 1 represented by free flowers; treatment 2 bagged flowers and treatment 3 flowers visited only by A. m. adansonii. In addition, all flower visitors were recorded. The abundance of bee, duration of visits, impact of activity of A. m. adansonii on fruiting percentage, the influence of this bee on formation of pods, number of seeds in each pods and average of normal seeds (well developed) were recorded. Individuals from 28 species of insects were recorded on the flowers of G. max, after two years of observations. Apis mellifera adansonii with 23.18% of 954 visits was the most frequent, followed by Polyrachis sp. 1 (14.77%), Macronomia vulpina (14.22%), Lipotriches collaris (11.07%). This honey bee intensely and exclusively foraged for nectar. The mean foraging speed was 12.56 ± 5.79 flowers per minute. Flowers visited by insects had higher fruiting rate compared with the others while those bagged had the lowest. Apis mellifera adansonii foraging resulted to a significant increment in fruiting rate by 14.14 and 11.98%, as well as the number of seeds per pod by 36.95 and 35.65%, and the percentage of normal seeds by 32.61 and 29.26% respectively in 2010 and 2011. The installation of A. m. adansonii colonies in G. max plantations is recommended to improve pod and seeds production of this species.
References
Borror DJ, White RE. 1991. Les insectes de l’Amérique du Nord (au nord du Mexique). Broquet (ed.), Laprairie. p. 408.
Boyeldieu J. 1991. Produire des grains oléagineux et protéagineux. Ed. Tec et Doc/Lavoisier Col. Agriculture d’aujourd’hui. 115 - 152
Caviness CE. 1970. Cross-pollination in the soybean. In : The indispensable pollinators, Ark. Agr. Ext. Serv. Misc. Pub. 127: 33-36.
Demarly Y. 1977. Genetic and amelioration of plants. Masson, Paris. p. 577.
Douka C, Tchuenguem FF-N. 2013. Foraging and pollination behavior of Apis mellifera adansonii L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) on Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae) flowers at Maroua (Cameroon). International Research Journal of Plant Science 4(2): 45-54.
Free JB. 1966. The pollination of the beans Phaseolus multiflorus and Phaseolus vulgaris by honeybees. J. Apicult. Res. 5: 87-91.
Free JB. 1993. Insect pollination of crops. Academic Press. p. 544
Freitas BM. 1997. Number and distribution of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) pollen grains on the bodies of its pollinators, Apis mellifera and Centris tarsata. J. Apicul. Res. 36 (1): 15-22.
Gallais A, Bannerot H. 1992. Amélioration des espèces végétales cultivées. INRA, Paris.p.768.
Hymowitz T. 1970. On the domestication of the soybean. Econ. Bot. 24 (4): 408-421.
Hymowitz T, Harlan JR. 1983. Introduction of soybean to North America by Samuel Bowen in 1765. Econ. Bot. 37 (4): 371-379.
Ibarra-Perez FJ, Barnhart D, Ehdaie B, Knio KM, Waines JG. 1999. Effects of insect tripping on seed yield of common bean. Crop Sci. 39 (2): 428-433.
Jacob-Remacle A. 1989. Comportement de butinage de l’abeille domestique et des abeilles sauvages dans des vergers de pommiers en Belgique. Apidologie. 20 (4): 271-285.
Kendal DA, Smith BD. 1976. The pollinating efficiency of honey bee and Bumblebee visits to flowers of the runner bean Phaseolus coccineus L. J. Applied Ecology 13 (3): 749-752.
Kuete M, Melingui A, Mounkam J, Nofiele D. 1993. Nouvelle géographie du Cameroun. EDICEF, Paris. p. 207.
Kingha BMT, Tchuenguem FF-N, Ngakou A, Brückner D. 2012. Foraging and pollination activities of Xylocopa olivacea (Hymenoptera, Apidae) on Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae) flowers at Dang (Ngaoundere-Cameroon) J. Agric. Extension and Rural Development. 4 (10): 330-339.
Letouzey R. 1985. Notice de la carte phytogéographique du Cameroun au 1/500000. Inst. Carto. Intern. Végétation, Toulouse et Inst. Rech. Agron., Yaoundé.
Milfont MO, Rocha EEM, Lima AON, Freitas BM. 2013. Higher soybean production using honeybee and wild pollinators, a sustainable alternative to pesticides and autopollination. Environ. Chem. Lett. 11(4) :335-341. Doi 10.1007/s10311-013-0312 .8.
Minader. 2010. Annuaire des Statistiques du Secteur Agricole, Campagnes 2007 & 2008. Direction des Enquêtes et des Statistiques, Agricoles. AGRI-STAT Cameroun n° 16, p.98.
Pando JB, Tchuenguem FF-N, Tamesse JL. 2011a. Foraging and pollination behaviour of Xylocopa calens Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Phaseolus coccineus L. (Fabaceae) flowers at Yaoundé (Cameroon). Entomol. Res. 41(5): 185-193.
Rortaisa A, Arnolda G, Halmb MP, Touffet-Briensb F. 2005. Modes of honeybees exposure to systemic insecticides: estimated amounts of contaminated pollen and nectar consumed by different categories of bees. Apidologie., 36 (1): 71-83).
Tchuenguem FF-N, Messi J, Brückner D, Bouba B, Mbofung G, Hentchoya HJ. 2004. Foraging and pollination behaviour of the African honey bee (Apis mellifera adansonii) on Callistemon rigidus flowers in Ngaoundéré (Cameroon). J. Cam. Acad. Sci. 4(2): 133-140.
Tchuenguem FF-N, Ngakou A, Kengni BS. 2009b. Pollination and yield responses of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) to the foraging activity of Apis mellifera adansonii (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at Ngaoundéré (Cameroon). Afr. J. Biotechnol. 8 (9): 1988-1996.
Tien HH, Hien TM, Son MT, Herridge D. 2002. Rhizobial Inoculation and N2 fixation of soybean and mungbean in the Eastern region of South Vietnam. In” inoculants and nitrogen Fixation of legumes in Vietnam”. Edited by D. Herridge. ACIAR proceedings 109e.
USDA. 2002. Oilseeds : World markets and trade. Foreign Agricultural Service. Circular series FOP.
Woodworth CM. 1922. The extent of natural cross-pollination in soybeans. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 14: 278-283.
