Progressive Horticulture
  • Year: 2010
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue: 2

Energetic reward- A determining factor for inter-varietal preference of honeybees foraging on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.)

  • Author:
  • Neelam Chaudhary, R.C. Sihag, Y.S. Saharawat, M.C. Pandey
  • Total Page Count: 4
  • Page Number: 213 to 216

* Department of Zoology and Aquaculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana-, 125004.

**International Rice Research Institute, NASC Complex, DPS Marg, New Delhi-110012.

***Excel Crop Care Limited, 705–707, Naurang House, 7th Flr., Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001.

International Maize & Wheat Improvement Centre, NASC Complex, New Delhi-, 110 012

Online published on 15 September, 2011.

Abstract

Four honeybee species (Apis dorsata, A. mellifera, A. florea and A. cerana) were found to forage on four varieties of fennel viz. Rajendra Saurabh, GF-1, HF-33 and Local Check. Relative abundance of honeybees was taken as a measure of relative attractiveness of the respective crop variety. Based on this, the most preferred variety was GF-1 followed by Rajendra Saurabh, HF-33 and Local Check in the descending order. The energetic reward was found the determinant factor for pollinator preferences.