Evaluating honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), as a potential pollinator to enhance the yield and yield attributes in hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Raj S. K. Kartic*, Veeral D. Kumarimanimuthu Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Chidambaram-608 002 (Tamil Nadu), India *(e-mail: karticrajsk@gmail.com)
Online published on 2 August, 2023. Abstract Sunflower is a protandrous type, having a problem in which male and female elements mature at different times. Hence, cross pollination is the only way for seed setting in sunflower. For effective cross pollination, various techniques were developed. Based on this, field study was conducted during June 2022-August 2022 at the Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu to enhance the yield and yield attributes of hybrid sunflower (Kaveri Champ) through honeybee as an agent for cross pollination. The study comprised six treatments with four replications. The treatments were: T1-Natural pollination, T2-Hand pollination, T3-Head to head pollination, T4-Beehive alone, T5-Beehive + Hand pollination and T6- Beehive + Head to head pollination. The study revealed that the (T5) Beehive + hand pollination showed the highest value in terms of seed yield (3669 kg/ha), number of filled seeds per head (1418), 100-seed weight (4.72 g) and seed set percentage (98.55) followed by (T4) Beehive alone. Natural pollination (T1) showed the lowest seed yield (2088 kg/ha), number of filled seeds per head (832), 100-seed weight - (4.12 g) and seed set percentage - (71.91) in all the yield parameters. Pollination with honeybees and by hand increased seed yield per head, compared to natural pollination. Results indicated that the use of honeybees for sunflower hybrid improved the yield and yield attributes of sunflower. Top Keywords Beehive, Hybrid sunflower, Pollination, Seed set, Seed yield. Top |