Forage characteristics of honey bees beha- vior in sunflower agrophytocenoses in the conditions of Poltava region

Abstract

The article highlights the main results of assessing the sugar content and nectar content of hybrids of common sunflower (Heliánthus ánnuus L.) Duet, Yason and Avalon in the conditions of the Left Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine during pollination by honey bees of the Ukrainian steppe breed (Apis mellifera sossimai Engel) of the Gadyatsky type, the originator of which is the National Science Center «Institute of Beekeeping named after P.I. Prokopovich». The investigated sunflower hybrids are included in the State Register of plant varieties and are recommended for cultivation in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine. The investigated bee families of the Ukrainian steppe breed of the Hadyatskyi type met the requirements of the breed standard according to the results of the exterior evaluation. Their selection for research was carried out by the method of analogues, taking into account their equality in strength, number of offspring, feed reserves, origin and age of queens. The bee colonies were cared for uniformly. The dependence of nectar secretion on weather conditions is shown. The maximum values of nectar secretion of the investigated sunflower hybrids were recorded at an air tempera- ture of 28–30°С and a relative humidity of 67–70%. It is shown that under these conditions the maximum flight of bees was 182 pcs. and was observed in the morning until 12:00 without pollen and 51 pcs. with pollen (under the same conditions). The following nectar content values of sunflower hybrids were recorded: for the Yason hybrid, the nectar content values were 0.28–0.43 mg/day; Avalon — 0.47–0.59 mg/day; Duet — 0.40–0.47 mg/day. The sugar content of the Yason hybrid was 45.9–50.5%; Avalon — 35.9–39.7%; abStract 1512023 • No 1 • Агроекологічний журнАл Duet — 50.1–54.5%. It was shown that the visitation by forager bees of sunflower hybrid crops depends on their sugar content: the visitation by bees of Jason and Duet hybrid crops was higher than Avalon, due to the higher sugar content in the nectar of these two hybrids. Bees of the Ukrainian steppe breed of the Hadyatskyi type prefer plants with higher sugar content. Further studies of the productivity of sun- flower varieties and hybrids from bee pollination are necessary to ensure obtaining agricultural products of appropriate quality.