Emerson Dechechi Chambó

Honey bee visitation to sunflower: effects on pollination and plant genotype

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an allogamic plant, which needs insects on flowering, especially the honeybees for seed production. Collecting nectar and pollen by honeybees in agricultural crops is essential to apiculture, as well as a better understanding of plant biology. The foraging behavior of Africanized Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) and its efficiency of pollination on seed yield of sunflower genotypes (open pollination and restricted pollination) were evaluated. There were peaks of visits by A. mellifera for nectar collection on the 2nd and 3rd flowering days between 7h00 and 8h30. The average density of A. mellifera during increased visitation ranged from 2.27 to 2.94 bees per capitulum. Nectar collecting bees were more frequent (2.28 bees per capitulum) than pollen collecting (0.40 bees per capitulum). On the 3rd flowering day, Helio 360 and Aguara hybrids had higher (p ≤ 0.05) number of bee visits per flower head than the other genotypes. Seed yield was 43 % higher (p ≤ 0.05) from sunflower plants that were visited by pollinator-insects compared with plants restricted to pollinators.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Mono- and Heterofloral Bee Pollen of Different Geographical Origins

Recent research shows variations in pollen chemical constituents and, consequently, in their therapeutic properties. Mono and multifloral bee pollen extracts were investigated for antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity properties, phenolic compounds and fatty acid composition. Generally, Eucalyptus spp. and multifloral extracts exhibited potent inhibitory activity against α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, lipoxygenase, lipase and hyaluronidase. On the other hand, Miconia spp. demonstrated higher antihemolytic activity. Cocos nucifera and Miconia spp. extracts exhibited important antioxidant properties in the different assays (ABTS, DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid and reducing power). Moreover, these extracts had greater amounts of total phenols and flavonoids in comparison to others. The increase in antioxidant activity (decrease in EC50 values) was accompanied by an increase in the amount of total phenols in the extracts. The pollen extracts contained linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid as major fatty acids, followed by palmitic acid, and oleic acid. In this study, differences were observed in both chemical constituents and biological activities of the samples related to the geographical and botanical origin of bee pollen.

Characterization of Lavandula spp. Honey Using Multivariate Techniques

Traditionally, melissopalynological and physicochemical analyses have been the most used to determine the botanical origin of honey. However, when performed individually, these analyses may provide less unambiguous results, making it difficult to discriminate between mono and multifloral honeys. In this context, with the aim of better characterizing this beehive product, a selection of 112 Lavandula spp. monofloral honey samples from several regions were evaluated by association of multivariate statistical techniques with physicochemical, melissopalynological and phenolic compounds analysis. All honey samples fulfilled the quality standards recommended by international legislation, except regarding sucrose content and diastase activity. The content of sucrose and the percentage of Lavandula spp. pollen have a strong positive association. In fact, it was found that higher amounts of sucrose in honey are related with highest percentage of pollen of Lavandula spp.. The samples were very similar for most of the physicochemical parameters, except for proline, flavonoids and phenols (bioactive factors). Concerning the pollen spectrum, the variation of Lavandula spp. pollen percentage in honey had little contribution to the formation of samples groups. The formation of two groups regarding the physicochemical parameters suggests that the presence of other pollen types in small percentages influences the factor termed as “bioactive”, which has been linked to diverse beneficial health effects.

Gene Flow Between Conventional and Transgenic Soybean Pollinated by Honeybees

Wainer Cesar Chiari1, Maria Claudia Colla Ruvolo-Takasusuki2, Emerson Dechechi Chambo1, Carlos Arrabal Arias3, Clara Beatriz Hoffmann-Campo3 and Vagner de Alencar Arnaut de Toledo1 1Animal Science Department, Universidade Estadual de Maringa, Maringa, Parana 2Cell Biology and Genetics Department, Universidade Estadual de Maringa, Maringa, Parana 3Empresa de Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria Soja, Londrina, Parana Brazil

Spectrophotometry as a Tool for Dosage Sugars in Nectar of Crops Pollinated by Honeybees

The study of sugar from floral nectary is important for identification if a rise or decrease in quantity or nectar quality. The plant may secret a little bit of nectar, but with high sugar concentration, or unlike, secret more quantities, but with low sugar concentration. These differences in nectar may vary depend on pollinator visitation. However, the frequency of honeybees that visit flowers may contribute for rising nectar production like change the sugar proportion.

Phenotypic Correlation and Path Analysis in Sunflower Genotypes and Pollination Influence on Estimates

Eight sunflower genotypes were analyzed to estimate correlation values for nine agronomic traits. Path analysis was used to partition the correlation values into direct and indirect effects on seed yield in two pollination tests (open and restricted pollination). In both tests, there were significant (p<0.05) positive correlation values between seed yield and head diameter, head mass, number and mass of achenes per head and first and last count of germination. There was no correlation (p≥0.05) between seed yield and 1000 seed weight in both pollination tests. Oil content was not correlated (p≥0.05) with seed yield in the open pollination, but it was positively correlated (p<0.05) in restricted plants. The path analysis, in both pollination tests, indicated that head mass had the highest direct effect on seed yield. It can be concluded that the variables head mass and number of seeds per inflorescence (for pollination open) should get due attention in sunflower breeding programs, indirectly contributing to seed yield. In addition, for both pollination tests, the number of seeds per inflorescence has high significant positive correlation to the oil content and may contribute to its increase.

Floral Biology and Africanized Honeybee Behaviour in Transgenic (Roundup ReadyTM var. BR-245 RR) and Conventional (var. BRS-133) Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) Flowers

Therefore, this research was carried out to evaluate the Africanized honeybee effect on soybean production, mainly, over genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This chapter presents experimental data about floral biology of soybean Glycine max L. Merrill, BR-245 RR (transgenic soy – Roundup ReadTM) and BRS-133 (conventional soy) with and without application of Glyphosate, as well as the honeybee behaviour in those flowers of these varieties.