Al-Abbadi S.Y (2007).
Influence of different numbers of honeybee super hives (Apis mellifera syriaca L.)
On plastic house faba bean (Vicia faba L.) Production.
Bull. Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ Vol (58) No.4 266-270
ABSTRACT:-This experiment was carried out at Faculty of Agriculture Research Station at Mut`ah University / Al-Karak during 2003/2004 growing season, to study the efficiency of different number of honeybee nuclei on pollination and yield of faba bean (Vicia fabae L.) under uncontrolled plastic house conditions. Honeybees showed no differences on their behavior of visiting flowers at temperature range between 19.8oC-31.3oC during day time and experiment period. The plastic house sections which contain 3 honeybee nuclei produced significantly higher yield of faba bean than one honeybee nucleus section and control, respectively. Demarcated 15 faba bean plants labeled inflorescences; flower pod set percentage was 52 %, 33 %, and 15 % for the three bee nuclei, one nucleus and control, respectively. The pods quality which their flowers pollinated by honeybees was superior, early harvested, were with more seeds and exhibited better appearance. Individual pods randomly collected from the 15 demarcated faba bean plants in 2nd , 4th and 6th row beds in the plastic house weight during first harvest time was 14.14 , 11.22 and 7.65g and 13.47 , 9.42 and 8.04 g during second harvest time, for the three nuclei, one nucleus and control, respectively. Moreover pods number showed also significant differences. For all plant in both harvest time total pod numbers was 5516, 2898 and 882 pods. The highest in 3 nuclei section and the lowest in control treatment section, faba bean were harvested twice in 6 and 21, April 2004. In conclusion, treatment of faba bean plants with three nuclei increase pods weight, seed number per pod, pod length and middle seed weight in each pod.
Keywords: Pollination, Faba bean, Vicia faba L., Honeybee, Apis melliferaL.
