Pollination Efficiency of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Flowers of Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae) at Bilone (Obala, Cameroon)
Pharaon Mbianda Auguste1*, Dounia2, Chantal Douka2, Esther Nadine Otiobo Atibita3, Fernand-Nestor Tchuenguem Fohouo1
Citation : Pharaon Mbianda Auguste,et.al, Pollination Efficiency of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on Flowers of Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae) at Bilone (Obala, Cameroon) International Journal of Research Studies in Agricultural Sciences 2018, 4(3) : 12-20
To evaluate Apis mellifera impact on pod and seed yields of Sesamum indicum, its foraging and pollinating activities were studied in Bilone during the rainy season of 2016 and 2017. Treatments included unlimited floral access by all visitors, bagged flowers to avoid all insects' pollinators and limited of single visit of A. mellifera worker. For each year of study, observations were made on 40±7 flowers per treatment. Apis mellifera foraging behavior and its pollination efficiency were evaluated. Results show that this bee foraged nectar and pollen on S. indicum flowers during the whole blooming period. The number of seeds per pod and the percentage of normal seeds of unprotected flowers were significantly higher than those of flowers protected from insects (P< 0.001). Through its pollination efficiency, A. mellifera provoked a significant increment of the number of seeds per pod by 17.54% in 2016 and 8.77% in 2017, and the percentage of normal seeds by 9.53% in 2016 and 7.70% in 2017. The installation of A. mellifera colonies close to S. indicum fields is recommended to increase pod and seed yield in the region.