Dr. P. S. HUGARANJAN KUMAR NAIK2018-01-082018-01-082014-11http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810039021Cashew panicles were visited by twenty seven species of pollinators. Among honey bees, Apis cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea constituted 34.46, 28.09 and 21.33 per cent of total pollinators, respectively. Foraging activity of A. dorsata and A. cerana were observed from 7th to 15th day after flowering (0.36 to 0.46 and 0.58 to 0.71 bees/panicle/5 min, respectively) with maximum visitation at 1000 and 1200 h. A. florea activity was maximum from 6th to 14th day after flowering (0.17 to 0.26 bees/panicle/5 min) at 1000 and 1200 h. Installation of A. cerana colonies enhanced the number of fruits retained at harvest (1.29 to 1.84 fruits/ panicle), circumference of the apple (9.62 to 10.60 cm), TSS in the apple (11.14 to 13.90ºbrix), apple weight (73.06 to 88.06 g), nut width (2.47 to 2.76 cm), nut thickness (1.61 to 1.95 cm) and hundred nut weight (733.70 to 912.54 g/100 nuts). A cashew nut yield of 0.0 22 kg per 23 panicles and 0.119 kg per 28.5 panicles were observed in crop caged with and without bees. More number of honey cells, pollen cells and brood cells were observed at IV, V, VI and VII fortnight after the transfer of colonies. The number of colonies maintained by the progressive farmers under study ranged from 8 to 31 colonies. Honey yield from colonies placed in cashew orchard ranged from 4 to 10 kg. Incidence of thai sac brood virus was not observed throughout the study period. Vespa cincta, Galleria mellonella, Oecophylla smaragdina and Camponotus compestris were the other pests recorded. Pollinator visitation was maximum in unsprayed panicles and panicles sprayed with deodar wood paste and ash (1.46 to 1.64 pollinators /panicle/5 min). While the panicles sprayed with conventional insecticides had least visitation. Cashew panicles sprayed with chemicals were visited by sixteen species of pollinators.ennullThesis