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Author: Akash × End date: 2023 × Start date: 2020 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Pollination potential of Apis species on guava and litchi
    (palampur, 2020-11-09) Akash; Sharma, Surender Kumar
    Guava and litchi are the two commercially important fruit crops grown in Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh. Owing to their pollination, the present study holds potential for improving their reproductive success by utilizing most suited honeybee pollinators. The prime aim of the present investigation was to study the foraging traits of honeybees in guava and litchi ecosystems, ensuring effective pollination services. Healthy and bearing trees of guava (var. Allahabad Safeda) and litchi (var. Culcuttia) were chosen as experimental material for study. Abundance and foraging traits; foraging rate, foraging speed, foraging mode and pollination efficiency index were determined. Visitor insects were observed in litchi and guava ecosystems of six different locations during morning and afternoon hours. Data were recorded by selecting four branches in different directions of the tree. Honeybees followed by syrphids were the predominant visitors of litchi both during early and peak blooming period. Out of the three predominant honeybee species, Apis cerana was most frequent (10.19 flowers/min.) in the morning hours and Apis mellifera visited maximum flowers (10.04 flowers/min.) during afternoon hours. Foraging speed as time spent per flower was recorded maximum for Apis dorsata (7.55 sec.) during morning and A. cerana (7.34 sec.) in afternoon hours. Foraging mode indicated the maximum top foragers of A. mellifera. Maximum number of loose pollen grains among Apis pollinators on body and hind legs was carried by A. dorsata. A. mellifera with highest pollination efficiency index was found as the most efficient pollinator in litchi ecosystem. In guava ecosystem, honeybees were again abundant during the early bloom while A. cerana was the most prevalent during peak bloom. Maximum foraging rate, both in morning and afternoon hours was observed for A. cerana. A. mellifera and A. cerana had the maximum foraging speeds i.e. 6.83 seconds and 9.56 seconds during morning and afternoon hours, respectively. Foraging mode of honeybees revealed that in guava crop, maximum top foragers were of A. dorsata and the least of A. cerana. Maximum number of loose pollen grains among honeybees on body and hind legs was recovered from A. dorsata. The pollination efficiency index of A. cerana in guava was highest as 6.54, hence, represented the most efficient pollinator in the surveyed locations of Shivalik Hills.