Adaptation and Evaluation of Improved Bee Forages at Haro Sabu Districts of Kelem Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted to adapt and evaluate the performance of improved bee forage and recommend the best performing species for honey production at Haro Sabu districts from 2013-2014 G.C. The evaluated plant species were Medicago sativa, Phocilia indicum, Melilotus officinalis, Trifolium ruppellianum, Fagophyrum japonicum, Fagophyrum esculentum, Coriandrum sativum and Sinaps alba which were sown on station with Randomized complete block design and replicated three times with 2m x 2m (4m²) plot sizes. Germination, duration on flowering, number of flower heads per m² and honey bee foraging intensity on flowers per m² were parameters used to evaluate the adaptation of the introduced improved bee forages and analyzed using ANOVA. Statistically the longer (68) and shorter (27) days it took on flowering was observed on Medicago sativa and Coriandrum sativum, respectively under the experiment. Fagophyrum japonicum and Fagophyrum esculentum produces statistically higher number of flower head per m² plot area while Phocilia indicum, Sinups alba and Medicago sativa produces statistically similar and the least flower head per m² which are 153, 196 and 202, respectively. Regarding on the mean number of bee visits on plants, Trifolium ruppellianum was statistically significantly visited by higher number of bee foragers (579) while Coriandrum sativum was the least (162). The data revealed that Melilotus officinalis, Trifolium ruppellianum, Fagophyrum japonicum, Fagophyrum esculentum, Sinaps alba, Phocilia indicum and Medicago sativa were performed well in terms of flower head per plant, number of bee visits and duration on flowering for honey production.

Keywords: Coriandrum sativum, Fagophyrum esculentum, Fagophyrum japonicum, Medicago sativa, Melilotus officinalis, Phocilia indicum, Sinaps alba and Trifolium ruppellianum.

DOI: 10.7176/ALST/97-04

Publication date: January 31^st 2023