Role of Honeybees to Crop Pollination in Ethiopia: A Review

Abstract

Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the male organ (anther) of a plant to the female organ (stigma). To transfer pollen, flowers completely depend on the vector. An abundance of pollinators creates a high and more uniform harvest with a higher quantity as well as the quality fruit and crops. Honeybee plays a central role in agriculture as pollinators. Thus, the current review aimed to provide the role of honeybees to crop pollination in Ethiopia. Honeybees pollination maximizes agricultural crop production and increases the honey yield harvested from the hive because honeybees collect more nectar and pollen while they pollinate the flowering. About 53 significant crops are cultivated in Ethiopia, of these 33 are dependent on biological pollinators while honeybees are contributing 80% of the total pollination services. A lot of crops are benefited from honeybees worldwide in general and particularly, in Ethiopia from which, Niger, linseed, sunflower, coffee, faba beans, groundnut, cotton, red pepper, mangoes, chick peas, rape seed, lentils, onion, avocados and others. The economic value of pollination service was estimated to be $ 814.6 million dollars (17.1 billion ETB) in the 2015/16 production season. Now a day, pollination service loses due to human-induced impacts such as habitat destruction, land-use change, use of chemicals (pesticides and herbicides), climate change and invasive species. So to mitigate the challenges regarding to pollination service awareness creation about role of honeybees on agricultural crop pollination is recommended.