Efectos de aumentar las densidades de abejas melíferas en los componentes de rendimiento del girasol

REYES, M. FERNANDA; FERNANDEZ, ANAHÍ R.; NABAES JODAR, DIEGO N.; ANDREONI, LUCAS; GARIBALDI, LUCAS A.

Ecología Austral

Asociación Argentina de Ecología

Año: 2024

1667-7838

The management of domesticated honeybees (Apis mellifera) could be a useful tool to supplement wild pollinators and15 increase crop productivity. However, is necessary to know the optimal hive density for each particular crop. Sunflower (Helianthus16 annuss) is the third most produced oilseed crop in the world, and depends on insect pollination to increase the number of seeds and17 the oil content. We proposed to quantify the H. annuss dependency to pollinators and assess the optimal hive density of honeybees18 to increase sunflower productivity in 2 ha plots immerses in an extensive soybean matrix in Argentina. We set up a field experiment19 of five plots with a different number of hives each one (0, 5, 10, 15, 20), assessed fruit set and crop yield of flower heads open and20 excluded from pollinators and insect abundance. Fruit set and crop yield increased in open flower heads. Crop yield did not present21 a linear response to hive density, although there could be a positive effect of intermediate densities. Crop yield were no explained by22 abundance of the two most frequently pollinator species, Astylus atromaculatus (Coleoptera) and Apis mellifera, suggesting that23 sunflower productivity was limited by other resources than pollen, as low abundance of rains. Drought conditions could have24 limited the response of the crop to hive addition and also influenced the high A. atromaculatus abundance, which could play a25 pollinator role in this system. More repetitions (plots and years) are needed to get these results more robust.