Role of insect pollinators towards yield attributing parameters of sesame (Sesamum indicum Linnaeus)
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Date
2019
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CCSHAU, Hisar
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Role of insect pollinators towards yield attributing
parameters of Sesame (Sesamum indicum Linnaeus)” was carried out at Research farm and Apicultural
laboratory, Department of Entomology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar on the two
promising cultivars, HT-1 and HT-2 during Kharif of 2017 and 2018. Flowers of the both cultivars had
the similar floral biology in relation to different floral parts which essentially consisted of five
sectioned calyx (5-6 mm), five lobed corolla (26-36 × 10-23 mm), two pairs of stamens, gynoecioum
with superior ovary (3-7 mm) and characteristic extrafloral nectaries at base of pedicel. Flowers were
found to be visited by a total of 34 insect species belonging to four orders and 18 families.
Hymenpoterans occupied the dominant share (62 %) followed by lepidopterans (17 %), dipterans
(12 %) and coleopterans (9%). Among them, 17 species were reported to be frequent visitors where
A. dorsata was the abundant species with an abundance of 4.76, bees/ m²/5 min (26.92 %) and it was
followed by A. mellifera, M. lanata and A. florea with abundance of 2.34 (13.20 %), 2.23 (12.58 %)
and 1.32 (7.44 %) bees/m²/5 minute, respectively, whereas Coelioxys sp., A. cingulata,
Compsomeriella sp., and X. iridipennis were found be the least abundant species.
Insect visitors/ pollinators had followed the unimodal diurnal activity pattern with single visiting peak
at 1000 -1200 hours. With pertaining to foraging behaviour, A. dorsata had highest working duration
(11.09 hours) and it was followed by A. mellifera, A. cerana, M .lanata and M. cephalotes. The
overall mean foraging rate was found to be maximum in M. cephalotes (5.65 flowers/ minute) and
M. lanata (5.54 flowers /minute) than other recorded species, meanwhile the foraging speed was
recorded highest for C. smaragdula (11.84 seconds/ flower) and A. florea (8.43 seconds/flower). The
pollination index computed revealed the high pollination efficiency of social honey bees over the
solitary bees. The average dry nectar sugar present in a single flower varied from 0. 205 to 0.542 mg
and significantly the peak production were recorded at 1000 - 1200 hours. Both varieties profoundly
responded to different modes of pollination, where significant improvement of various qualitative and
quantitative yield traits of S. indicum registered in bee pollination treatments than open pollination and
without insect pollination treatments. The present study also proved the utility of sesame as resource
crop for beekeeping.