Honeybee colonies carrying capacity determination in north-east dry land areas of Amhara region, Ethiopia

The objective of the study was to examine the dynamics and sugar content of nectar of major bee flora species and to determine an approximate honeybee colony carrying capacity in northeast dry land areas of the Amhara region. Acacia asak, Acacia etbaica, Acacia tortolis, Becium grandiflorum, and Cordia africana honeybee floral species were selected on the basis of relative dominance in the area. Floral nectar was collected through micropipette and washing techniques based on the flower nature of the species and nectar sugar was measured by refractometer. Hence, A.asak, A.etbaica, A.tortolis, B.grandiflorum, and C.africana could have been estimated to produce 10.2 ± 6.4 mg, 5.3 ± 4.6 mg, and 2.6±1 mg. 4, 3.7 ± 2.1 mg, and 5.7 ± 3.2mg/flower head of nectar sugar, respectively. In a single tree of A.etbaica, A.asak, A.tortolis, B.grandiflorum, and C.africana a mean of 0.15 kg, 0.15 kg, 0.06 kg, 0.01 kg, and 0.03 kg of honey yield was expected to produce respectively. Similarly in a hectare of land, a mean of 49.9 kg, 128.9 kg, 5.6 kg, 5.5 kg, and 2.2 kg of honey was estimated to harvest. In a hectare of land a sum of 57.5 kg, 57.5 kg, and 128.9 kg of honey in highland, midland, and lowland locations, respectively was estimated to produce during the main harvesting season of the area. The mean number of honeybee colonies introduced in the lowland have estimated to be 18 traditional, 6 transitional, and 5 modern hives, and in the highland 12 traditional, 6 transitional, and 5 modern hives whereas in the midland 8 traditional, 5 transitional, 3 modern hives. In summary, even in the study area with limited rainfall and high temperatures, these species secreted a substantial amount of nectar sugar and supporting the enhancement of honey yield.

Nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potentials of some major honey plants in Saudi Arabia

The contribution of a bee plant species to honey production depends on the plant's nectar secretion quality and quantity, which is mainly governed by biotic and abiotic factors. The aim of the current study, was to investigate the nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potential of 14 major bee plant species of the target area. We examined the quantity and dynamics of nectar sugar per flower five times a day using a nectar sugar washing technique and direct measuring of nectar with calibrated capillary tubes. The average nectar sugar amount of the species varied from 0.41 mg/flower to 7.7 mg/flower (P < 0.0001). The honey sugar per flower was used to extrapolate the honey production potential per plant and per hectare of land. Accordingly the honey production potential of the species observed to vary from 14 kg/hectare in Otostegia fruticosa to 829 kg/hectare in Ziziphus spina-christi. The nectar secretion dynamics of the species generally showed an increasing trend early in the morning, peaking toward midday, followed by a decline but different species observed to have different peak nectar secretion times. Generally, the tree species secreted more nectar sugar/flower than the herbs. The nectar secretion amount of the species was positively correlated with the ambient temperature, indicating the adaptation of the species to hot climatic conditions. However, different species were observed to have a different optimum temperature for peak nectar secretion. Despite the limited rainfall and high temperature of the area, many plants were found to have good potential for honey production. The monetary value of honey per hectare of the studied honeybee plant species can be of equal or greater than the per-hectare monetary value of some cultivated crops that require numerous inputs. In addition, the information generated is believed to be useful in apiary site selection and to estimate the honey bee colony carrying capacity of an area.