Foraging Pattern of Apis cerana indica Fab. on CMS and RHA Parental Lines of Sunflower Hybrid KBSH-53 Under Varied Planting Ratio and Pollination Situations

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the foraging pattern of A. cerana, on different parental lines of the sunflower hybrid, KBSH-53 viz., male line: RHA 95C-1 and female line: CMS 335A, besides time spent on each parental line. Maximum movement of nectar foragers was recorded in M4 situation (female to female line), which produced only nectar, with 54.20 per cent in C1 followed by 51.17 per cent in C2 condition. In case of M1 situation (male to male line), it produced both nectar and pollen with 52.25 per cent in C4 followed by 51.19 per cent in C3 condition. However, negligible movement of bees was observed in M2 situation (male to female line) with 0.86 per cent in C1 followed by 0.94 per cent in C3 condition and under M3 situation (female to male line) with 0.56 per cent in C3 followed by 0.95 per cent in C1 condition across different row ratios. Maximum movement of pollen foragers was recorded in M1 situation (male to male line) with 98.01 per cent in C3 followed by 97.98 per cent in C1 condition. Least movement of bees was observed in M2 situation (male to female line) with 1.07 per cent in C1 followed by1 .15 per cent in C3 condition and in M3 situation with 0.83 per cent in C3 followed by 0.94 per cent in C1 condition. No movement of bees was observed in M4 situation (female to female line) for pollen foragers, wherein no pollen grains are produced in female line, CMS 335A. The maximum mean time spent by bees was recorded in M4 situation, among nectar foragers with 69.13 per cent in C3 followed by 57.45 per cent in C2 condition and in M1 situation with 47.40 per cent in C4 followed by 44.27 per centin C1 condition. In M2 situation, lowest mean time spent was 0.00 per cent in C1 followed by 0.21 per cent in C3 condition and M3 situation with 0.21 per cent in C3 followed by 0.29 per cent in C2 condition. The pollen foragers recorded maximum percentage time spent in M1 situation with 99.47 per cent in C3 followed by 99.28 per cent in C2 condition and in M2 and M3 with 0.00and 1.22per cent in C1 and 0.00 and 0.53 per cent in C3 condition.