Devinder Sharma

Bee-Birds: Ravagers of Beekeepers, but Saver of Farmers

Wild bee eater birds have been offered food and water as a traditional religious custom in many communities in Asia. Just as the name reveals, bee-eaters predominantly eat huge number of insect, pests and other invertebrates e.g. rice pests, freshwater crabs and snails. All insectivorous birds can eat harmful insects to keep pest populations under control in agricultural ecosystems. Bee-eaters consume a large number of bees causing direct impact on honey production. They consume very few bees and most bee colonies can suffer the occasional loss of a worker bee to a bird. If the bird happens to get a virgin queen on a mating flight the loss is more serious but only beekeepers who are queen breeders need to be concerned. Moving bee colonies is the usual solution in areas where bird pests are considered a problem. There is a need to study in detail the food and feeding behaviour, reproduction, roosting, population dynamics and damage of all important species. Management questions can be answered only if one has a sound knowledge on these ecological aspects.

Seasonal dynamics and management of whitefly ( Bemesia tabaci Genn.) in tomato ( Solanum esculentum Mill.)

ABSTRACT Studies on seasonal dynamics of white fly (Bemesia tabaci) on tomato (Solanum esculentum var. Pusa Ruby) revealed that it appeared first during the 13 th and reached maximum during 21 st standard meteorological week. A positive correlation between adult population and abiotic factors viz. temperature (maximum and minimum) and sunshine hours was observed, whereas humidity (maximum and minimum) and rainfall showed a negative correlation with it. Taken together, the key weather parameters studied, caused 89.00 per cent variation in whitefly population (R 2 value). Combination of carbofuran (soil application) + imidacloprid (seed treatment ) + imidacloprid (foliar application) proved significantly superior and caused maximum reduction in whitefly population followed by imidacloprid (seed treatment) + thiomethoxam (spray), imidacloprid (seed treatment) + imidacloprid (spray), imidacloprid (seed treatment) + dimetheoate (spray), carbofuran (soil application) + malathion (spray), and imidacloprid (seed treatment) + yellow sticky traps. The highest cost benefit ratio of 1:25.04 was recorded in case of carbofuran (soil application) + imidacloprid (seed treatment ) + imidacloprid (foliar application) followed by 1:22.38 for imidacloprid (seed treatment) + thiomethoxam (spray) ; 1:21.81 for imidacloprid (seed treatment) + imidacloprid (spray); 1:19.27 imidacloprid (seed treatment) + dimetheoate (spray); 1:19.48 carbofuran (soil application) + malathion (spray), and 1:8.33 for imidacloprid (seed treatment) + yellow sticky traps. The soil application of carbofuran + seed treatment with imidacloprid and three foliar sprays of imidacloprid at fortnight interval starting 40 days after transplanting is found effective and is advised for whitefly management in susceptible tomato cultivars.

Training need assessment of apple growers of district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh

The study conducted on 100 growers selected randomly from five villages of Pooh block of district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh revealed that 55 per cent of them had medium level of knowledge about scientific cultivation of apple. A majority of the respondents had knowledge about varieties of apple (100%), pollinators in apple orchards (98%), optimum time of pruning (91%), time of planting in the field (89%) and the number of days a field should be left open before planting (84%) but lacked knowledge in the areas of weed control, management of insect pests and diseases, fruit setting and control of fruit dropping. This implies that technical knowledge in the form of short duration training programmes, on the spot guidance, demonstrations etc on the above aspects should be provided to them. The respondents needed training in postharvest technology, fruit setting, application of manures and fertilizers, weed control and marketing of apple. Unprecedented weather conditions followed by frequent road blockage particularly at the time of marketing and lack of marketing knowledge etc were some of the main constraints faced by them. The respondents suggested that the trainings should be need-based, given on practical aspects, conducted at a convenient place and they should be informed well in time.

Beekeeping Practices for Management of Apis mellifera

Proper management of honey bees is key to the success of beekeeping. Effective management influences colony’s performance, development and its productivity. The colony development and hence its productivity are influenced by environmental conditions which do not include only the prevailing conditions in the hive but mainly those prevalent outside the hive since the former are the factors of latter. The outside conditions which influence the beekeeping are physical weather conditions (temperature, humidity, cloudiness, rainfall etc.) and the bee floral availability (availability and their acreage). Since there are temporal and spatial variations, the management practices required would vary from place to place and during different seasons in relation to prevailing weather conditions and availability of flora. The honey production can be enhanced by following such management practices viz., queen bee quality, simulative feeding, mass rearing of quality queen bees, use of double queen system, manipulating the bee population and adoption of migratory beekeeping wherever necessary. In general, the management practices required in a particular season are almost the same since the basic principle underlying management practices is to boost colony development and augment its productivity.

Parasitology of Bees

Parasites and pathogens are significant threats to the health and well-being of the honey bees. To alleviate the threats posed by these invasive organisms, a better understanding of bee pathology will be of crucial importance in developing effective and environmentally benign disease control strategies. Although knowledge of honey bee diseases has been accumulated considerably in the past three decades, a comprehensive review to compile the various aspects of bee parasites and pathogens is attempted in this chapter. We briefly introduce the many pathogens and parasites afflicting honey bees and describe physiological, immunological, and behavioral responses of individual bees toward pathogens and parasites for reducing the disease risk of their nestmates. Appreciation of the fact that colonies suffer multiple infections the chapter will also focus on essential knowledge on the resultant interactions among pathogens, pesticides and management as well as to control diseases efficiently. The infection processes at all relevant levels: from the apiary, via the colony and individual bee is also described.

Beehives in the World

Beekeeping is one of the most widespread agricultural activities that are practiced all over the world. The honey harvesting in traditional beekeeping means total destruction of the beehives and sometimes extermination of the bees. The use of hollowed logs, boxes of variable dimensions and designs, and rock or wall holes as hives reflect the reminiscences of the ancient bee-knowledge, descended traditionally through generations. The developments in the design and structure of the beehives have paved the way to ensure accessibility and maintenance. Bee hives vary in size and shape and some of them proved to provide better homes for the bees than others. The modern beehives have been improved and modified by beekeepers from time to time since the inception of beekeeping. These modifications have helped beekeepers to manage bees. The introduction of bars facilitated the beekeeper’s control of the combs. The transition to wooden hives, though it met firm resistance initially, took hold when combined with wooden frames in the true movable-frame hive. Further attempts to modernize the beekeeping sector should utilize other technologies that are more appropriate and more sustainable for the targeted beekeepers of particular region.

Management of Asian Honeybees

Asian sub continent is very rich in honeybee diversity having Indigenous honeybees (Apis cerana, Apis laboriosa, Apis dorsata, Apis florea) have co-existed through centuries and kept on going without inter specific transfer of diseases and parasites. The beekeeping is possible in all those areas which have sufficient floral resources. Among these, A. cerana is the only species that can be managed in hives, but the single combs of the other two are collected by honey hunters. The efforts have been made throughout the Asian sub continent to manage the A. dorsata and A. florea. The success of beekeeping depends upon understanding of the biology and behaviour of honeybees, their management techniques including knowledge of their diseases and enemies for handling them.

Role of Pollinators in Sustainable Farming and Livelihood Security

Agricultural biodiversity is often understood as crop genetic resources, yet agro-ecosystems hold a wide diversity of other organisms that contribute toward their productivity and sustainability. Pollination is an ecological process that provides important services to humans. Pollination service in agro-ecosystems depends on several factors, including the land management systems used by farmers. Pollinators, such as honeybees, play a crucial role in flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. As most of the agri-horticultural crops plants are not only self incompatible but also cross incompatible. It has been found that the use of hive bees results in a manifold increase in the quality of produce. Yield potential of a cross pollinated crop can be achieved only when the pollination requirement of the crop is fulfilled. Interestingly, most of the crops benefited from bees are sources of protein and fat, the nutrients our people need most. Over the past decade, the international community has increasingly recognized the importance of pollinators as an element of agricultural diversity supporting human livelihoods. Yet mounting evidence points to a potentially serious decline in populations of pollinators. Maintaining and increasing yields in horticultural crops, seeds and pastures through better conservation and management of pollinators is critically important to health, nutrition, food security and better farm incomes for poor farmers. Recognizing the dimensions of a “pollination crisis” and its links to biodiversity and human livelihoods, the Convention on Biological Diversity has made the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators a priority.

Honeybee Predators: Insects, Reptiles and Mammals

A wide range of animals, both large and small, are predators of bees – these include insects, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Many of them predates on honey bees, their comb, or their stored products. Most a times healthy colonies can afford to suffer occasional losses to such pests without harm to the colony and many insects do no detectable harm although the beekeeper may feel their presence unsanitary or unsightly. Nevertheless, a number of them directly or indirectly inflict damage to honeybee colonies including adults, brood and stored food inside the beehives. The most common predators are discussed along with methods or techniques used for their prevention and/or control.