Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Foraging Rhythm of Bees in Relation to Flowering of Sweet Basil, Ocimum basilicum L.


Affiliations
1 Division of Entomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu 180 009, India
 

Sixteen species of insects belonging to four families of Hymenoptera visited flowers of Ocimum basilicum. Among them, non-Apis bees represented 85% of all flower visitors. Nectar was the main attractant for floral visitors. Besides Ocimum, agricultural crops such as cucumber, bitter gourd, brinjal, etc. in adjacent fields were visited by the same species of flower visitors. Hence, if planted near the agricultural fields, Ocimum sp. could attract pollinating insects for enhancing crop productivity.

Keywords

Agricultural Crops, Foraging Rhythm, Non-Apis Bees, Ocium basilicum.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Ichimura, M. and Noguchi, A., Morphological study of flower bud development of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). J. Agric. Sci., 2004, 49, 43–46.

  • Faegri, K. and Van der Pijl, L., The Principles of Pollination Ecology, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1979, 3rd edn, pp. 1–244.

  • Gadagkar, R., Chandrashekara, K. and Padmini Nair, Insect species diversity in tropics: sampling methods and a case study. J. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1990, 87, 337–353.

  • Muniz, J. M., Pereira, A. L. C., Valim, J. O. S. and Campos, W. G., Patterns and mechanisms of temporal resource partitioning among bee species visiting basil (Ocimum basilicum) flowers. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, 2013, 7, 491–502.

  • Abrol, D. P., Studies on ecology and behaviour of insect pollinators frequenting strawberry blossoms and their impact on yield and fruit quality. Trop. Ecol., 1989, 30, 96–100.

  • Abrol, D. P., Insect pollinators of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa). Indian Bee J., 2000, 62, 55–57.

  • Bhalla, O. P., Verma, A. K. and Dhaliwal, H. S., Foraging activity of insect pollinators visiting stone fruits. J. Entomol. Res., 1983, 7, 91–99.

  • Abrol, D. P., Shankar, U., Chatterjee, D. and Ramamurthy, V. V., Exploratory studies on diversity of bees with special emphasis on non-Apis pollinators in some natural and agricultural plants of Jammu division, India. Curr. Sci., 2012, 103, 780–783.

  • Abrol, D. P., Pollination activity of alfalfa-pollinating subtropical bees Megachile nana and Megachile flavipes (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Trop. Ecol., 1990, 31, 106–115.

  • Szabo, T. I. and Smith, M. V., The use of Megachile rotundata for the pollination of greenhouse cucumbers. In The Indispensable Pollinators. A Report of the 9th Pollination Conference. The University of Arkansas Agricultural Extension Service, Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1970, pp. 95–103.

  • Holm, S. N., Bladskaerebien (Megachile rotundata). Ugeskr, Landm., 1964, 109, 719–721.

  • Aubury, R. G. and Rogers, H. H., The use of Megachile rotundata F. as a pollinator of lucerne in glasshouses. J. Brit. Grassl. Soc., 1971, 26, 91–94.

  • Bell, M. C., Spooner-Hart, R. N. and Haigh, A. M., Pollination of greenhouse tomatoes by the Australian blue banded bee Amegilla (Zonamegilla) holmesi (Hymenoptera: Apidae). J. Econ. Entomol., 2006, 99, 437–442.

  • Oziegbe, M., Kehinde, T. O. and Matthew, J. O., Comparative reproduction mechanisms of three species of Ocimum L. (Lamiaceae). Acta Agrobot., 2015, 69(1), 1–9.

  • Raju, A. J. S., Reproductive ecology of Ocimum americanum L. and O. basilicum L. (Lamiaceae) in India. Plant Species Biol., 1989, 4, 107–116.

  • Reddi, E. U. B. and Subba Reddi, C., Pollination biology of Jatropha gassypiifolia (Euphorbiaceae). Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant Sci.), 1983, 92, 215–231.

  • Reddi, E. U. B. and Subba Reddi, C., Pollination ecology of Euphorbia geniculata (Euphorbiaceae). J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 1983, 81, 571–582.

  • Bhaskar, V., Pollination biology and fertilization in Santalum album L. (Santalaceae). Flora, 1992, 187, 73–78.

  • Kumar, M. and Ahmad, M., Kinetics of insect pollination and phenology of Paulownia fortune. Ann. For., 2001, 9, 73–81.

  • Pereira, A. L. C., Taques, T. C., Valim, J. O. S., Madureira, A. P. and Campos, W. G., The management of bee communities by intercropping with flowering basil (Ocimum basilicum) enhances pollination and yield of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum). J. Insect Conserv., 2015, 19, 479–486.


Abstract Views: 412

PDF Views: 121




  • Foraging Rhythm of Bees in Relation to Flowering of Sweet Basil, Ocimum basilicum L.

Abstract Views: 412  |  PDF Views: 121

Authors

D. P. Abrol
Division of Entomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu 180 009, India
Uma Shankar
Division of Entomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu 180 009, India
Debjyoti Chatterjee
Division of Entomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha, Jammu 180 009, India

Abstract


Sixteen species of insects belonging to four families of Hymenoptera visited flowers of Ocimum basilicum. Among them, non-Apis bees represented 85% of all flower visitors. Nectar was the main attractant for floral visitors. Besides Ocimum, agricultural crops such as cucumber, bitter gourd, brinjal, etc. in adjacent fields were visited by the same species of flower visitors. Hence, if planted near the agricultural fields, Ocimum sp. could attract pollinating insects for enhancing crop productivity.

Keywords


Agricultural Crops, Foraging Rhythm, Non-Apis Bees, Ocium basilicum.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi12%2F2359-2362