Effect of Bee Attractants on the Attraction of Apis dorsata and their Impact on Seed Yield of Niger Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass Crop

Abstract

The study was conducted at the experimental farm of the PC Unit Sesame and Niger, College of Agriculture, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (JNKVV), located in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during the Kharif season of 2021. The primary objective of the experiment was to assess the influence of bee attractants on the attraction of Apis dorsata (giant honey bees) and their subsequent impact on the seed yield of niger crop. The experiment was designed using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. This experimental setup allows for systematic testing of the effects of different bee attractants on both bee behavior and crop yield while controlling for potential sources of variation. By utilizing this design, researchers can obtain reliable data on the efficacy of various bee attractants in enhancing pollination and improving seed yield in niger crops. The results showed that the both at 10% and 50% flowering stage Apis dorsata visit was numerically the highest with flower extract of Madhuca longifolia 10% with 20.42 and 19.25 Apis dorsata/m2/5min, respectively. This was followed by rose water spray with 19.25 and 15.33 Apis dorsata/m2/5min, respectively. The population of Apis dorsata was received from the controlled condition 4.08 and 6.08 Apis dorsata/m2/5min at 10% and 50% flowering stage, respectively. This was followed by water spray 5.75 and 8.58 Apis dorsata/m2/5min at 10% and 50% flowering stage, respectively. The foliar spray of mahua flower extract and rose water 10% were found significantly superior over others in respect to record higher seed yield and recorded 6.90 q and 6.70 q/ha seed yield, respectively.