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Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality
Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613498859585536 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Pirk, Christian Walter Werner |
| author_browse | Pirk, Christian Walter Werner |
| author_facet | Pirk, Christian Walter Werner |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2010 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2010. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/29441 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:06.816Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/29441 Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality Pirk, Christian Walter Werner Crewe, Robin M. Veldtman, Ruan Nicolson, Sue W. gbtesfay@gmail.com Tesfay, Gebreamlak Bezabih Honeybee colonies Pollination service Seed quantity and quality of sunflower UCTD Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2010. Insects are considered to be responsible for 80-85% of all pollination, with honeybees being well known for their pollination services for many crops. The effect of managed honeybee pollination on sunflower seed yield and quality (germination percentage and oil content) was investigated at the University of Pretoria experimental farm and in commercial sunflower fields at Settlers. This was done through pollinator exclusion and pollinator surveys on sunflower field plots located at different distances from managed honeybee colonies. Observations on the foraging behaviour and activity of honeybees throughout the day were also made. The data presented in this thesis reveal that seed quantity and quality of sunflower increased significantly as a result of insect visits. Insect pollination improved the mass of 100 seeds (by 38%), as well as their germination percentage (by 38%) and oil content (by 36%). Moreover, visitation frequency, seed yield and quality were negatively correlated with distance to the honeybee hives, suggesting that the distribution of honeybee colonies is not enough to maintain an adequate pollination service throughout the large sunflower fields at Settlers. Honeybee foraging activity varied throughout the day, the highest activity being from 9h00 until 16h00, and activity was correlated with temperature. The results of this study suggest that the use of managed honeybees in sunflower crop production can effectively increase the seed quality and quantity, but additional management measures should be considered to improve production in large monocropping farms that are currently isolated from pollinator sources. Additional provision of honeybee colonies is needed in sunflower production areas during the flowering period. Furthermore, as our results show that in the presence of pollinators other than honeybees seed yield was also improved, management measures that promote the biodiversity of sunflower visitors may also have an important contribution. Zoology and Entomology unrestricted 2013-09-07T15:39:23Z 2010-11-12 2013-09-07T15:39:23Z 2010-09-02 2010-11-12 2010-11-12 Dissertation Tesfay, GB 2010, Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality, MSc(Agric) dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29441 > E10/773/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29441 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11122010-185202/ © 2010 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Honeybee colonies Pollination service Seed quantity and quality of sunflower UCTD Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title | Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title_full | Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title_fullStr | Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title_short | Contribution of managed honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata Lep.) to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed yield and quality |
| title_sort | contribution of managed honeybees apis mellifera scutellata lep to sunflower helianthus annuus l seed yield and quality |
| topic | Honeybee colonies Pollination service Seed quantity and quality of sunflower UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29441 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11122010-185202/ |