Tufail Muhammad Shoaib, Krebs Gaye L, Southwell Alison, Piltz John W, Wynn Peter C, Cook David F
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Horticulture and Irrigated Agriculture, South Perth, Western Australia 6151, Australia.
Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 2678, Australia.
J Econ Entomol. 2024 Dec 28;117(6):2495-2504. doi: 10.1093/jee/toae222.
A major limitation to producing high seed yields in berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is failure to set seed, predominantly due to lack of pollination. Despite the importance of berseem clover as a leading forage legume, the contribution of pollinators to seed set is scarce. In Pakistan, the honeybee population is declining mainly because of the extensive use of neonicotinoid pesticides and habitat fragmentation. This, combined with the region's harsh environment and the use of inferior, locally bred genotypes, has resulted in low seed yields. Insufficient seed availability leads to limited forage supply, resulting in poor livestock nutrition, which subsequently impacts livestock health and productivity, and reduces farmers' income. The present study estimated the seed production of 3 berseem clover genotypes resulting from honeybees [Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)] pollination in 2 growing seasons (2012-2014) in the central Punjab region of Pakistan. Experiments had 2 pollination treatments (open pollination and honeybee inclusion) and 3 seed genotypes, viz. farmer own-saved, market, and the improved variety cultivars. For both growing seasons, honeybee pollination resulted in significant increases in seed yields ranging from 35% to 67%, regardless of seed genotype. With the exception of the number of seed heads/m2, all seed yield parameters also increased significantly in response to honeybee inclusion. The combination of improved variety and honeybee inclusion resulted in the production of a maximum number of seeds per head (45.3), 1,000-seed weight (3.7 g), and estimated seed yield (375.5 kg/ha). In addition, the increase in estimated net income of seed ranged from PKR 82,485 Rs/ha (US$844/ha) to PKR 168,975 Rs/ha (US$1728/ha) with the use of honeybees as an insect pollinator across all the seed genotypes. Honeybee pollination has broader implications for mixed farming systems by playing a key role in preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable agriculture. It also enhances the quality and quantity of berseem crops by increasing the production of high-quality seeds and forage leading to improved livestock productivity and family food security which strengthens the economic resilience of rural communities.
埃及三叶草（Trifolium alexandrinum L.）种子高产的一个主要限制因素是无法结籽，主要原因是授粉不足。尽管埃及三叶草作为一种主要的豆科牧草很重要，但传粉者对结籽的贡献却很少。在巴基斯坦，蜜蜂数量正在下降，主要是因为新烟碱类杀虫剂的广泛使用和栖息地破碎化。这与该地区恶劣的环境以及使用劣质的本地培育基因型相结合，导致种子产量低下。种子供应不足导致饲料供应有限，进而导致牲畜营养不良，随后影响牲畜健康和生产力，并降低农民收入。本研究估计了2012 - 2014年在巴基斯坦旁遮普省中部地区2个生长季节中，蜜蜂[意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera L.（膜翅目：蜜蜂科）]授粉后3种埃及三叶草基因型的种子产量。实验有2种授粉处理（开放授粉和引入蜜蜂）和3种种子基因型，即农民自留种、市场种和改良品种。在两个生长季节中，无论种子基因型如何，蜜蜂授粉均使种子产量显著提高35%至67%。除了每平方米种子头数外，所有种子产量参数在引入蜜蜂后也显著增加。改良品种与引入蜜蜂相结合，使每头种子数量最多（45.3粒）、千粒重（3.7克）和估计种子产量（375.5千克/公顷）。此外，在所有种子基因型中，使用蜜蜂作为昆虫传粉者后，种子估计净收入增加范围从82,485巴基斯坦卢比/公顷（844美元/公顷）到168,975巴基斯坦卢比/公顷（1728美元/公顷）。蜜蜂授粉通过在保护生物多样性和促进可持续农业方面发挥关键作用，对混合农业系统具有更广泛的影响。它还通过增加优质种子和饲料的产量来提高埃及三叶草作物的质量和数量，从而提高牲畜生产力和家庭粮食安全，增强农村社区的经济复原力。
