Honeybee Flora Resources of Guji Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Adequate knowledge about honeybee flora is important for beekeeping. This study was undertaken to identify and document honeybee plants in Guji Zone using melissopalynological analysis of honey samples, semi-structured questionnaires and field observation. Nineteen honey samples were collected from different parts of the zone. Out of 19 samples, 15 were identified as monofloral honeys and 4 as multifloral honeys. This indicated that there is high diversity of honeybee plant species in 4 honey samples that give flowers in the same season contributing for production of multifloral honey and 15 samples were dominated by few major honeybee plants due to their abundance in addition to their quality for honey production. Twenty nine (29) plants species were identified as honey source plants based on melissopalynological analysis of honey.  Of 29 species, Eucalyptus globulus (90.9%), Schefflera abyssinica (73.6% - 80.6%), Guizotia scabra (79%), Syzygium guineense (65% - 77.8%), Terminalia brownii (77.2%), Ilex mitis (61.9%) and Hypoestes forskaolii (57.6%) provided mono-floral honey. The flowering calendar of the zone indicated two major honey flow periods from April to June and October to November. The scarcity of honeybee forages were observed in July to mid of August and mid of February to mid of March. In many districts of the zone, herbaceous honeybee forage species were the dominant honey source plants in September to November. While, in March to May majority of honey source plants were trees and shrubs due to the phenological patterns of plants. To apply seasonal honeybee colony management, beekeepers should manage honeybee colonies following phenological pattern of honeybee plants.  Preparation of pollen reference material is also recommended to identify the unknown bee plants species in honey pollen analysis.

Keywords: Honeybee plants, Melissopalynology, Honey, Mono-floral honey