Performance evaluation of herbaceous of bee forages for semi-arid parts of the rift valley of central, Ethiopia

Abstract

Availability of adequate nectar and pollen plant is the most limiting factor for honey production. The study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the performance of Echium plantaginium, Becium grandiflorum, Melilotus alba and Fagophyrum esculentum in Semi-arid parts of rift valley of Central Ethiopia. The species were evaluated based on flower heads per plants, foraging intensity of honeybees and duration of flowering. The mean time taken to set flower under rain fed condition for F. esculentum was about 38 days which is, the shortest of all plants. On contrary, the time taken to set flower after planting was 171 days for B. grandiflorum. The mean numbers of flower heads per plant were significantly higher (p<0.05) for M. alba under rain condition than irrigation, whereas similar for F. esculentum under both condition. The mean number of flower heads per plant was higher for E. plantaginium than other species, due to their growing habit and crown size. Honeybees foraging intensity and visiting time for different plant species were significantly different. Even though the plants species used in this experiment showed better performance under both condition, however further evaluation is required particularly on nectar yield potential of the plants. From these investigations, it is concluded that developing better performing plant species through use of irrigation and rain fed conditions will alleviate the shortage of honeybee forages and help in increasing honey production.