Studies on Pollinator diversity and managed bee pollination in moringa with Asiatic hive bee Apis cerana indica
Keywords:
Pollination, Moringa, Apis cerana indicaAbstract
Moringa is a nutrient rich, highly bee dependant vegetable crop in India. Several insects visit moringa flowers for nectar and pollen collection. The diversity studies revealed the visitation of thirteen Hymenopteran, seven Dipteran and seven Lepidopteran insects in moringa. Among these, honey bees play major role in moringa pollination. Successful pollination ensures maximum fruit set and fruit quality of moringa. Hence, to study the pollination potential of most common honey bee in South India, the Asiatic hive bee Apis cerana indica has been evaluated with four treatments. The findings showed, managed bee pollination with four Asian bee colonies per acre of moringa crop improved the fruit set (19.14 per cent) and fruit yield (11.40 percent) compared to open pollination plots.