Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp1 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - II

Impact of corbicular pollen trapping frequency on pollen yield and colony growth in Apis mellifera L. colonies in Indian mustard

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.9257
Submitted
2 May 2025
Published
18-09-2025 — Updated on 10-10-2025
Versions

Abstract

Pollen is a nutritionally rich resource collected by bees, providing essential proteins and nutrients required for their growth and development. Effect of varying pollen trapping frequencies on the performance of Apis mellifera L. colonies during the Indian mustard flowering were evaluated with the aim of optimizing pollen collection. Maximum pollen collection was recorded under daily pollen trapping (2931.54 g/colony) followed by alternate-day (1338.46 g/colony), every three days (565.13 g/colony) and weekly trapping (214.42 g/colony). In daily trapped colonies, the honey area expanded by 35.03 % compared to 136.52 % in control colonies. Daily pollen trapping severely hindered brood area expansion, resulting in 19.01 % increase compared to the robust growth in control colonies (62.00 %).
Alternate day, every three days and weekly trapping resulted in brood area growth rates of 46.12, 60.76 and 68.56 %, respectively. Regarding pollen store area, daily trapping resulted in significantly smaller increase compared to the control. Hence, pollen trapping provides substantial harvests, whereas excessive trapping, particularly daily collection, adversely affects colony strength, highlighting the need for optimized trapping frequencies to balance beekeeper’s income with colony health.

References

  1. 1. Partap U. The pollination role of honeybees. In: Hepburn H, Radloff S, editors. Honeybees of Asia. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer; 2010. p. 227–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16422-4_11
  2. 2. Khalifa SA, Elashal MH, Yosri N, Du M, Musharraf SG, Nahar L, et al. Bee pollen: Current status and therapeutic potential. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):1876. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061876
  3. 3. Sharma A, Garg M, Sharma HK, Rai PK. Mustard and its products. In: Ravindran PN, Sivaraman K, Devasahayam S, Babu KN, editors. Handbook of spices in India: 75 years of research and development. Singapore: Springer; 2024. p. 2385–451. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3728-6_33
  4. 4. Rai PK, Yadav P, Kumar A, Sharma A, Kumar V, Rai P. Brassica juncea: A crop for food and health. In: Kole C, Mohapatra T, editors. The Brassica juncea genome. Cham: Springer; 2022. p. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91507-0_1
  5. 5. Hamad R, Chakraborty SK. A chemometric approach to assess the oil composition and content of microwave-treated mustard (Brassica juncea) seeds using Vis–NIR–SWIR hyperspectral imaging. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):15643. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63073-0
  6. 6. Kumar S, Mukthar H, Singh R. Comparative study of burn wound healing activity of different extracts of Brassica juncea seed and Shorea robusta roots on Wistar rats. J Tianjin Univ Sci Technol. 2021;54:384–403. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PTQFW
  7. 7. Devi M, Sharma HK, Rana K, Mehta DK. Studies on flower biology and pollination in mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Int J Sci Nat. 2017;8(1):35–39.
  8. 8. Goswami V, Khan MS. Impact of honey bee pollination on pod set of mustard (Brassica juncea L.: Cruciferae) at Pantnagar. Bioscan. 2014;9(1):75–78. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20143311895
  9. 9. Pradhan AM, Choudhury MR, Sawarkar A, Das S. Genetic analysis of some genotypes of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) for yield and yield attributing traits. Curr J Appl Sci Tech. 2021;40(34):51–60. https://doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2021/v40i3531573
  10. 10. Kumar P, Lamba A, Yadav RK, Singh L, Singh M. Analysis of yield and its components based on heterosis and combining ability in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss). Bioscan. 2013;8(4):1497–502. https://thebioscan.com/index.php/pub/article/view/466
  11. 11. Nagpal K, Yadav S, Kumar Y, Singh R. Working behavioural studies of different Apis spp. on Indian mustard (Brassica juncea). J Entomol Zool Stud. 2019;7(6):143–50.
  12. 12. Roubik DW. Ecology and natural history of tropical bees. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1989.
  13. 13. Kunjwal NK, Singh PS, Khan MS. Influence of insect pollination on seed germination and seed oil content in different varieties/lines of the Indian mustard, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss. Environ Ecol. 2016;34:2409–13. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20173014970
  14. 14. Sekhon H, Devi YK, Nath R, Kaur S. Impact of different modes of pollination on the productivity of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in Punjab. J Entomol Zool Stud. 2020;8:15–18. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20183382575
  15. 15. Mahmood R, Asad S, Sarwar G, Ahmad W, Qadir ZA, Balouch A, et al. Pollen collection and pollen foraging behaviour of honeybees (Apis mellifera) during different time intervals from Brassica campestris L. Pakistan J Zool. 2017;49(2):333–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjz/2017.49.2.sc4
  16. 16. Webster TC, Thorp RW, Briggs D, Skinner J, Parisian T. Effects of pollen traps on honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) foraging and brood rearing during almond and prune pollination. Environ Ento. 1985;14(6):683–86. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/14.6.683
  17. 17. Delaplane KS, Van Der Steen J, Guzman-Novoa E. Standard methods for estimating strength parameters of Apis mellifera colonies. J Apic Res. 2013;52(1):1–12. https://doi.org/10.3896/IBRA.1.52.4.12
  18. 18. Erdtman G. An introduction to pollen analysis. Stockholm: Almquist & Wiksell; 1954.
  19. 19. Sheoran OP, Tonk DS, Kaushik LS, Hasija RC, Pannu RS. Statistical software package for agricultural research workers. Recent advances in information theory, statistics & computer applications by DS Hooda & RC Hasija Department of Mathematics Statistics, CCS HAU, Hisar. 1998;8(12):139–43.
  20. 20. Bilisik A, Cakmak I, Bicakci A, Malyer H. Seasonal variation of collected pollen loads of honeybees (Apis mellifera L. anatoliaca). Grana. 2008;47(1):70–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00173130801923976
  21. 21. Ghosh S, Jeon H, Jung C. Foraging behaviour and preference of pollen sources by honey bee (Apis mellifera) relative to protein contents. J Ecol Environ. 2020;44:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41610-020-0149-9
  22. 22. Crone MK, Biddinger DJ, Grozinger CM. Wild bee nutritional ecology: Integrative strategies to assess foraging preferences and nutritional requirements. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2022;6:847003. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.847003
  23. 23. El-Sofany A, Naggar YA, Naiem E, Giesy JP, Seif A. Authentication of the botanical and geographic origin of Egyptian honey using pollen analysis methods. J Apic Res. 2020;59(5):946–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2020.1720950
  24. 24. Arslan S. The effects of pollen collection frequency on colony development and honey production in honey bee colonies. Gaziosmanpaşa Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi. 2012;29(2):49–54. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20133182640
  25. 25. Levin MD, Loper GM. Factors affecting pollen trap efficiency. Am Bee J. 1984;124:721–23. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19850216668
  26. 26. Fewell JH, Winston ML. Colony state and regulation of pollen foraging in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 1992;30:387–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00176173
  27. 27. Hoover SE, Ovinge LP. Pollen collection, honey production, and pollination services: Managing honey bees in an agricultural setting. J Econ Entomol. 2018;111(4):1509–16. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy125
  28. 28. Duff SR, Furgala B. Pollen trapping honey bee colonies in Minnesota. II. Effect on foraging activity, honey production, honey moisture content, and nitrogen content of adult workers. Am Bee J. 1986;126:755–58. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19870219499
  29. 29. Keller I, Fluri P, Imdorf A. Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees: Part II. Bee World. 2005b;86(2):27–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2005.11099650
  30. 30. Nicolson SW. Bee food: The chemistry and nutritional value of nectar, pollen and mixtures of the two. Afr Zool. 2011;46(2):197–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2011.11407495
  31. 31. Brodschneider R, Crailsheim K. Nutrition and health in honey bees. Apidologie. 2010;41(3):278–94. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2010012
  32. 32. Pernal SF, Currie RW. Pollen quality of fresh and 1-year-old single pollen diets for worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Apidologie. 2000;31(3):387–409. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2000130
  33. 33. Hoover SE, Higo HA, Winston ML. Worker honey bee ovary development: Seasonal variation and the influence of larval and adult nutrition. J Comp Physiol B. 2006;176:55–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-005-0032-0
  34. 34. Keller I, Fluri P, Imdorf A. Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees: Part 1. Bee World. 2005;86(1):3–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2005.11099641
  35. 35. Ibrahim SH, Selim HA. Effect of pollen traps on honeybee colonies. Agric Res Rev. 1974;52:109–14. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19760203922
  36. 36. Duff SR, Furgala B. Pollen trapping honey bee colonies in Minnesota. I. Effect on amount of trapped, brood, reared, winter survival, queen longevity, and adult bee population. Am Bee J. 1986;126:686–89.
  37. 37. Waller GD, Caron DM, Loper GM. Pollen patties maintain brood rearing when pollen is trapped from honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera). Am Bee J. 1981;121(2):101–103,105. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19810211795
  38. 38. Dalal PK. Determination of pollen trapping frequency, pollen collection and hoarding behaviour in Apis mellifera L. colonies. Hisar: Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University; 2019.
  39. 39. Ojha KN. Management of Apis mellifera for collection of corbicular pollen and its impact on colonies performance. [Ph.D. Thesis]. Nauni: Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry; 1999.
  40. 40. Chand H, Singh R, Hameed SF. Population dynamics of honeybees and insect pollinators on Indian mustard, Brassica juncea L. J Entomol Res. 1994;18(3):233–39.
  41. 41. Grabowski P, Wilde J, Bratkowski J. Composition and weight of pollen loads gathered by high and low pollen-collecting honeybee colonies. Apidologie. 2000;31(5):607–609.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.