MORPHOMETRIC STUDIES, MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND DESIGNING OF BEEHIVE FOR HONEYBEE IN SAURASHTRA REGION 3667
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Date
2023-05
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JAU JUNAGADH
Abstract
The present investigations were framed with an aim to morphometric studies,
molecular characterization and designing of beehive for honeybee in Saurashtra
region of Gujarat state. The field investigations were carried out at Sukhpur (Village),
Bhesan (Taluka) and Junagadh (District) on farmers apiary, while laboratory
experiments were conducted at Bio-control Research Laboratory, Department of
Entomology, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during the year, 2020-21
and 2021-22.
During the survey, five species of honeybee (Apis dorsata Fabricius, Apis
cerana indica Fabricius, Apis florea Fabricius, Apis mellifera Linnaeus. and Trigona
irridipennis Smith) were collected from different talukas of Junagadh distict.
Investigations on the morphometrics and molecular characterization were
carried out for the identification of these honeybee species at taxonomic and
molecular levels, respectively. These studies revealed that five major honeybee
species (A. dorsata, A. cerana indica, A. florea, A. mellifera and T. irridipennis) were
confirmed from Junagadh district of Gujarat state. Based on honeybee sequences
available online on the NCBI GenBank portal, the percentage of similarity was ranged
from 99.10 to 91.25%.
A study on development and standardize the design of feeding tray for A.
mellifera noted that the feeding tray with single channel bottom feeder (T4) was found
effective design, as it recorded the highest eggs (8.77 eggs/cm2
/frame), larvae (11.74
larvae/cm2
/frame), pupae (18.41 pupae/cm2
/frame), workers bees (7.04 worker bees in
4 cm2
/frame), drone (69.08 drones/frame) and food consumption (95.53% food
consumption/beehive). It was followed by feeding tray with double channel bottom
feeder (T3), while the perforated feeding tray (T1) was found the least effective design
of feeding tray.
The pragmatic data from development and standardize the rooftop of beehive
for the summer season showed that significantly the highest egg laying capacity
(22.51% egg laying/frame), sealed brood (38.57% sealed brood/frame) and worker
bees (6.21 worker bees in 4 cm2
/frame) were recorded in the rooftop modification
having two exhaust fans and two solar panels (T4) and similar results were also found
in case of unsealed brood, as it recorded the lowest (61.43%) unsealed brood/frame.
The main aim of the modification in beehive rooftop is maintaining and
reducing the inside temperature of beehive and the results revealed that the rooftop
modification having two exhaust fans and two solar panels (T4) was found effective in
which the highest (7.55°C) inside and outside temperature difference with the change
of 19.34% was observed. The rooftop modification, T2- Commercially available
rooftop found the least effective as it recorded weaker honeybee brood and failed to
reduce the inside temperature of the beehive.
It can be concluded that there are five major species of honeybees viz., A.
florea, A. dorsata, A. cerena indica, A. mellifera and T. iridipennis in Junagadh
district of Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. For design of feeding tray for A.
mellifera, single channel bottom feeder in feeding tray was found effective to feed the
sugar syrup conveniently by the honeybees. Further, it was found that the rooftop
modification having two exhaust fans and two solar panels can be used in the beehive
for the better maintainance of beehive temperature and honeybee colony