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Agriculture
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Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production
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Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2024) | Viewed by 6283

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. David De Jong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Genetics Department, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (FMRP/USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil
Interests: pollination; bee pathology; Varroa mites; Africanized bees; bee nutrition; propolis; small hive beetles; bee genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bees are a useful tool for agriculture, as they can enhance crop yield and value. Even self-fertile crops that apparently do not need bees, such as Arabica coffee, have increased and better-quality production when these pollinators are included. Adequately pollinated fruits and vegetables tend to be more uniform in size and shape, improving their market value. Additionally, well-pollinated produce has a better flavor and improved nutritional properties. Incorporating bees as an agricultural input may require changes in pest control strategies; however, as increases in crop value become apparent, farmers will adjust and be willing to test alternative control measures. Additionally, decreased use of pesticides to protect the bees will decrease residues in food and lessen the effect of these agricultural chemicals on the environment. Paradoxically, grower manuals often neglect to include information about pollination as an agricultural input, even for crops for which there is considerable evidence of improved production, such as coffee, cotton, and, more recently, soybeans. Applied research that considers the costs and benefits of incorporating bee pollination into crop management has the potential to sustainably increase food production and quality with little added cost and, at the same time, protect the consumer and the environment.

Prof. Dr. David De Jong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bees
  • pollination
  • honey bees
  • stingless bees
  • bumblebees
  • solitary bees
  • organic pest control
  • fruit quality
  • pesticides

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4504 KiB  
Article
Current Situation of Honey-Producing Apiaries—Quantitative Study of Honey Production Characteristics Based on a Questionnaire Survey in Hungary
by Aliz Feketéné Ferenczi, Angéla Kovácsné Soltész, István Szűcs and Andrea Bauerné Gáthy
Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2100; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122100 - 21 Nov 2024
Viewed by 220
Abstract
This study examined the conditions and factors affecting honey production in Hungary from the perspective of Hungarian beekeepers. Due to the scarcity of research on Hungary, this study can be considered a missing piece. The survey was based on a questionnaire survey (N [...] Read more.
This study examined the conditions and factors affecting honey production in Hungary from the perspective of Hungarian beekeepers. Due to the scarcity of research on Hungary, this study can be considered a missing piece. The survey was based on a questionnaire survey (N = 632). Basic statistical tools (frequencies, means) were used to describe the data. To assess differences between some categorical variables, cross-stability was assessed using chi-square tests, and non-parametric tests were used. Based on the study results, the study population has an average of 101 colonies per beekeeper. Beekeepers with a low number of colonies are mainly hobby beekeepers for whom non-economic goals are a priority. The average honey yield is 40 kg per bee colony, with a wide variation between counties. The primary function of beekeeping is production and selling, followed by the importance of pollinating crops and other plants, maintaining natural landscapes and habitats, and conserving plant biodiversity. Around 80% of beekeepers keep bees primarily for income, which is consistent with production and selling as their primary activity. The main problems identified are bee mite infestation (Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman), bee poisoning from pesticides, Nosema (Nosema apis Zander; Nosema ceranae Huang) infection, problems with sales and profitability, and lack of bee pastures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production)
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9 pages, 674 KiB  
Article
A Hive Entrance System That Directs Honey Bees Inside or Outside a Greenhouse Reduced Colony Decline While Effectively Pollinating Zucchini Squash
by Cássia R. A. Gomes, Mateus A. M. Batista, Yara M. M. Ferraz, Matheus F. Trivellato, Gustavo A. Siniscalchi, Gustavo V. Polycarpo, Everlon C. Rigobelo, David De Jong and Daniel Nicodemo
Agriculture 2024, 14(6), 805; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14060805 - 23 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 877
Abstract
Honey bee colonies rapidly decline when confined to greenhouses, increasing pollination rental costs as they need to be replaced frequently. We tested a hive system with entrances that can be manipulated to direct bees inside or outside greenhouses containing a zucchini crop. In [...] Read more.
Honey bee colonies rapidly decline when confined to greenhouses, increasing pollination rental costs as they need to be replaced frequently. We tested a hive system with entrances that can be manipulated to direct bees inside or outside greenhouses containing a zucchini crop. In one greenhouse, the bees could only forage inside for 15 days; in another, bees were directed to the inside from 5 to 9 a.m., after which they only foraged outside. This procedure was repeated two more times in each greenhouse with new hives. Data were collected on how the number of bee flower visits affected fruit production, the frequency of flower visits, and the amount of bee brood and food in the hives. Flowers visited by bees four times or more set more and larger fruit. The frequency of flower visits by bees from the hives confined to the greenhouse was reduced after eight days; it was not reduced in the greenhouse with bees that could forage outside. The bee brood area was reduced in the colonies that were confined to the greenhouse, while it was maintained in the semi-confined hives. The hives with controllable entrances proved effective for pollination, while causing less damage to the bees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production)
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11 pages, 1830 KiB  
Article
Intercropping Industrial Hemp and Cowpea Enhances the Yield of Squash—A Pollinator-Dependent Crop
by Beatrice N. Dingha, Gilbert N. Mukoko, Ikponmwosa N. Egbon and Louis E. Jackai
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040636 - 20 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1629
Abstract
Cultural crop-production practices are not only engineered to minimize pest incidence but also improve resource use efficiency and increase the diversity of habitat for beneficial insects that provide pollination services. With the increasing cultivation of industrial hemp and the benefits associated with the [...] Read more.
Cultural crop-production practices are not only engineered to minimize pest incidence but also improve resource use efficiency and increase the diversity of habitat for beneficial insects that provide pollination services. With the increasing cultivation of industrial hemp and the benefits associated with the cultivation of multiple crops, its integration into a polyculture cropping system remains to be evaluated. We intercropped two pollinator-attractive crops, hemp and cowpea, with squash, a pollinator-dependent crop, to evaluate the impact of pollinator abundance and diversity on crop yield. Intercropping significantly increased the overall abundance of pollinators with 79.1% recorded from the intercropping systems compared to 21.9% in the monocropping systems. Sweat bees and bumble bees were the most abundant bees, and Squash+Cowpea was the most diverse cropping system. Intercropping significantly increased the yield of squash with higher squash yield (155%) in Hemp+Squash and (161%) in Squash+Cowpea than in squash monocrop. Also, intercropping resulted in higher hemp yield (64%) in Hemp+Cowpea and (165%) in Hemp+Squash compared to hemp monocrop. This study demonstrated that agricultural systems such as intercropping that are designed to attract pollinators are much more productive by not only improving crop yield but also growers’ returns on investments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production)
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11 pages, 1207 KiB  
Article
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae in Beehives of the Apulian Region of Italy: How Citizen Science Can Support Scientific Research
by Annamaria Pandiscia, Patrizio Lorusso, Alessio Manfredi, Elisabetta Bonerba, Giancarlo Bozzo, Giuseppina M. Tantillo and Valentina Terio
Agriculture 2024, 14(4), 583; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14040583 - 8 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1047
Abstract
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are two well-known pathogens affecting the health of honeybees. To help understand how honeybee colonies are affected by these pathogens, the aim of this study was to analyze the impact of Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis in hives [...] Read more.
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are two well-known pathogens affecting the health of honeybees. To help understand how honeybee colonies are affected by these pathogens, the aim of this study was to analyze the impact of Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis in hives in the Apulian Region through a Citizen Science approach. First, a form about the health status of the beehives was filled out by beekeepers. After an inspection visit to confirm the signs observed by beekeepers, adult honeybee samples collected from beehives in four Apulian provinces (Taranto, Bari, Foggia and Brindisi) were subjected to light microscopy investigation for the detection of Nosema spp. spores and to molecular analysis using species-specific primers for the discrimination of Nosema apis spores from those of Nosema ceranae. Among the forty-eight samples, thirty-six tested positive for Nosema ceranae, and one sample tested positive for Nosema apis. The forms filled out by beekeepers revealed that only 5/36 beehives that tested positive for Nosema ceranae showed signs of depopulation and reduced honey production, while 19/36 had only low honey yield. This study provides data on Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae prevalence in Italy and correlates the presence of these intestinal pathogens with the most important problems encountered by local beekeepers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production)
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9 pages, 1205 KiB  
Communication
Increased Mass-Rearing of Queens in High Royal-Jelly-Producing Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera ligustica) Generates Smaller Queens with Comparable Fecundity
by Buajiram Ahmat, Ting Yang, Chuan Ma and Cheng Zong
Agriculture 2024, 14(2), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14020264 - 6 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1727
Abstract
The mass rearing of high-quality queen bees is an essential beekeeping practice for producing new queens to maintain colony productivity. A strain of high royal-jelly-producing bees (RJBs; Apis mellifera ligustica) in China exhibits high potential for the rapid mass rearing of queens. [...] Read more.
The mass rearing of high-quality queen bees is an essential beekeeping practice for producing new queens to maintain colony productivity. A strain of high royal-jelly-producing bees (RJBs; Apis mellifera ligustica) in China exhibits high potential for the rapid mass rearing of queens. To explore the potential changes in the quality of mass-reared queens, a set of morphometric traits and the sealed brood area were compared between the queens reared from 64 and 320 queen cells in RJB colonies. The increase in the queen cell number was found to induce a slightly but significantly reduced body weight and smaller wing length and thorax width in the reared queens at emergence. However, the ovariole number and sealed brood area, an indicator of the queen fecundity, were not observed to be significantly influenced. With respect to body weight and ovariole number, all the reared queens satisfied the current criteria for high-quality queens. Our findings provide evidence for the efficient mass production of high-quality queens using RJB colonies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bees as a Tool for Agricultural Production)
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