Pollination is an essential step in the seed production of canola, Brassica napus L. It is achieved with the assistance of various pollen vectors, but particularly by the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Although the importance of pollination has been shown for the production of seed crops, the need to introduce bee hives in canola fields during flowering to increase oil seed yield has not yet been proven. With the purpose of showing this, hives of A. mellifera were grouped and placed in various canola fields in the Chaudière-Appalaches and Capitale-Nationale regions (nine fields; three blocks with three treatments; 0, 1.5, and 3 hives per hectare). A cage was used to exclude pollinators and bee visitations were observed in each field. After the harvest, yield analyses were done in relation to the bee density gradient created, by using pod set, number of seeds per plant, and weight of 1000 seeds. Results showed an improvement in seed yield of 46% in the presence of three honey bee hives per hectare, compared with the absence of hives. The introduction of honey bees contributed to production and consequently, these pollinators represented a beneficial and important pollen vector for the optimal yield of canola.
Pollination is an essential step in the seed production of canola, Brassica napus L. It is achieved with the assistance of various pollen vectors, but particularly by the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Although the importance of pollination has been shown for the production of seed crops, the need to introduce bee hives in canola fields during flowering to increase oil seed yield has not yet been proven. With the purpose of showing this, hives of A. mellifera were grouped and placed in various canola fields in the Chaudière-Appalaches and Capitale-Nationale regions (nine fields; three blocks with three treatments; 0, 1.5, and 3 hives per hectare). A cage was used to exclude pollinators and bee visitations were observed in each field. After the harvest, yield analyses were done in relation to the bee density gradient created, by using pod set, number of seeds per plant, and weight of 1000 seeds. Results showed an improvement in seed yield of 46% in the presence of three honey bee hives per hectare, compared with the absence of hives. The introduction of honey bees contributed to production and consequently, these pollinators represented a beneficial and important pollen vector for the optimal yield of canola.
The aim of this study was to determine if and how the honeybee reduces the blooming period of canola (Brassica napus). Colonies were installed in different fields of canola in the Chaudiere‐Appalaches (two replicates) and Quebec City (one replicate) regions to create a density gradient of zero to three colonies per hectare. To calculate the blooming period under these conditions, 10 labelled plants were caged in the field, out of the reach of pollinators, and 10 others were labelled in the field and exposed to foragers. The number of flowers found on each plant was recorded daily. This study also aims at demonstrating that the canola plant will produce new flowers as long as it does not reach its maximum carrying capacity, thereby extending the blooming period. To simulate the fall of unfertilized flowers, a predetermined number of flowers from 20 randomly selected plants in one of the replicates were cut off every day. The plant, when it reaches its maximum carrying capacity, stops producing new flowers. With three colonies per hectare, the blooming period was reduced by 3.8 days, or 17 % compared with in the absence of pollinators. Because of the efficient pollen transfer to the stigma, the honeybees do not only cause the flower to live for a shorter period of time, but they also bring about a decrease in the number of flowers produced by the plant, thereby reducing the duration of blooming period.
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