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Subject: Entomology × Author: Penumajji Ganesh Kumar × End date: 2023 × Start date: 2023 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Pollination efficiency of Apis mellifera L. colony placement modes under protective environment in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)
    (CCSHAU, Hisar, 2023-08) Penumajji Ganesh Kumar; Chaudhary, O.P.
    Present research on muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Inthanon in enclosures (walk-in-tunnel) and open field was conducted at Center of Excellence on Vegetables (CEV), Gharaunda, Department of Horticulture, Haryana. Three honey bee colony placement modes viz. i) colony permanently inside, ii) colony with dual entrance and iii) addition of one brood frame at 10-day interval were further evaluated with three other treatments namely hand pollination (HP), without bee pollination (WBP) and crop grown in open field conditions (open pollination, OP) during 2020-21 and 2021-22. An early and prolonged flowering period was recorded under protected environment when compared to open field crop. A total of 12 species of flower visitors from 4 orders and 9 families were recorded on muskmelon bloom. Six of the 12 species were hymenopterans, while the other 6 were lepidopterans, dipterans, and coleopterans each with 2 species in each order. In 2020-21, Bactrocera cucurbitae (23.93%), Aulacophora foveicollis (21.86%) and hymenopterans (28.19%) were major floral visitors. Among hymenopterans, A. mellifera is most dominant floral visitors of muskmelon with 9.30% proportion. In 2021-22, hymenopterans (61.32%) were major floral visitors in which A. mellifera is most dominant floral visitors of muskmelon with 19.85% proportion, whereas, B. cucurbitae (4.51%) and A. foveicollis (7.25%) were reported in negligible amount. During both the years, A. mellifera foragers visited significantly higher foraging rate in colony with dual entrance (8.1 and 7.7) followed by colony permanently inside (7.8 and 7.4) compared to open field- OP (4.7 and 4.3/minute, respectively). Foraging speed for different resources (pollen, nectar and pollen+nectar) was maximum in enclosures with colony permanently inside (3.6, 5.2 and 5.5 seconds/flower, respectively which was at par with colony with addition of one brood frame at 10-day interval (3.5, 4.7 and 5.4 seconds/flower) followed by colony with dual entrance (3.4, 4.4 and 5.1 seconds/flower, respectively) and the lowest in OP (3.1, 4.0 and 4.7 seconds/flower, respectively). In muskmelon, hermaphrodite flowers produced higher DNS (0.916 mg/flower) than the staminate flowers (0.212 mg/flower) in 2020-21 season. Both quantitative and qualitative fruit parameters were dropped with devoid of bee pollination (WBP), increased on exposure to pollinators in open field and hand pollination but were maximum under bee pollination plots (Colony with dual entrance). Muskmelon fruit yield in plots devoid of bee pollination input was negligible (WBP - 35.15 q/ha) compared to plots having honey bee pollination inputs (150.30 to 545.44 q/ha). Exposure to open pollination (OP), yield increased 5 times to 150.30 q/ha and in hand pollination increased significantly to 247.27 q/ha. Ensuring fruit pollination with honey bee input increased yield significantly and was maximum in colony with dual entrance (545.44 q/ha) followed by colony permanently inside (507.14 q/ha) and addition of one brood frame at 10-day interval (409.69 q/ha). The maximum income was obtained in treatments of honey bee colony with dual entrance (Rs. 10.56 lakhs/ha) followed by colony permanently inside (Rs. 9.86 lakhs/ha) and addition of one brood frame at 10-day interval (Rs. 7.85 lakhs/ha) which was lowest among bee input plots. Superior colony growth parameters were recorded in colony with dual entrance.