Sabatina Paulraj, Srinivasan Madapuji Rajagopalan, Murugan Marimuthu, Saminathan Vangili Ramasamy
Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 003, India.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2025 Jan;32(3):1640-1652. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-35849-4. Epub 2024 Dec 30.
The present study focused on the impact of weather parameters over the foraging efficiency and pollination potential of stingless bees, Tetragonula iridipennis in tomato ecosystem which was located in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The maximum foraging activity (outgoing bees - 24.56/5 min, Pollen foragers - 8.64 bees/5 min, nectar foragers - 13.54 bees/5 min and resin foragers - 2.89 bees/5 min) was observed between 10.00 - 12.00 h during the study period. The activity of stingless bees was minimal between 06.00 - 08.00 h when the foraging commences. The maximum temperature was significantly positively associated with the foraging potential and average relative humidity was negatively correlated. Heavy rainfall also affects their capacity of flight thereby the foraging activity could be restricted to the favourable time of the day. The monthly pooled averages recorded throughout the summer season, revealed that the peak foraging activity of outgoing and incoming foragers was observed in March, followed by April, while the lowest activity was recorded in May. Peak foraging activity occurred in early summer, likely due to greater resource availability and favourable weather conditions. These weather-related factors reveal how stingless bees adapt to environmental conditions, showing their sensitivity and strategic adjustments in response to climate variability and change. Moreover, the potential pollination services offered by stingless bees yielded significant results. With the aid of stingless bee pollination, the yield of tomato fruit per plant reached 3.53 kg, and the fruit's length and diameter measured up to 3.92 cm and 4.21 cm, respectively. Additionally, the weight of 100 seeds per tomato fruit was recorded at 0.31 g. The overall quality of the tomato fruit was notably enhanced by the pollination assistance from T. iridipennis.
本研究聚焦于天气参数对印度泰米尔纳德邦哥印拜陀地区番茄生态系统中无刺蜂——虹彩无刺蜂觅食效率和授粉潜力的影响。在研究期间，观察到最大觅食活动（外出蜜蜂——24.56只/5分钟，花粉采集蜂——8.64只/5分钟，花蜜采集蜂——13.54只/5分钟，树脂采集蜂——2.89只/5分钟）出现在10.00 - 12.00时之间。觅食开始时，无刺蜂的活动在06.00 - 08.00时最少。最高温度与觅食潜力显著正相关，平均相对湿度则呈负相关。暴雨也会影响它们的飞行能力，从而使觅食活动可能仅限于一天中的有利时段。整个夏季记录的月度汇总平均值显示，外出和归来觅食者的觅食活动高峰出现在3月，其次是4月，而5月的活动最少。觅食活动高峰出现在初夏，可能是由于资源更丰富且天气条件有利。这些与天气相关的因素揭示了无刺蜂如何适应环境条件，显示出它们对气候变异性和变化的敏感性及策略性调整。此外，无刺蜂提供的潜在授粉服务产生了显著成果。借助无刺蜂授粉，每株番茄的果实产量达到3.53千克，果实长度和直径分别达3.92厘米和4.21厘米。此外，每个番茄果实100粒种子的重量记录为0.31克。虹彩无刺蜂的授粉帮助显著提高了番茄果实的整体品质。
