Orissa Review

is fast becoming a prime enhancing the productivity and

component of present day production of cross as well as
Enhancement strategies for integrated rural self pollinated crops through
development and off farm efficient pollination in an
of Crop employment. inconspicuous and silent
manner.
Production Pollination is a simple
process involving transfer of Some facts about bee
Through Bee pollen from anthers to the
stigma of the same or different
pollination:
* More than 50% of the
Pollination flower. In several cro ss
pollinated crops, external bio
existing species of plants
propagated by seeds are
agents are required to dependent upon insects for
accomplish this process. Cross adequate pollination. .
Dr. L.N. Mohapatra pollination of entomophilous
cro ps by ho neybees is * Only 15% of the 100 or so
Dr. B.K. Sontakke crops that fed the world are
Mr. N. Ranasingh considered as one of the
pollinated by domestic
effective and cheapest method
honey bees while 80% are
for triggering the crop yield both
pollinated by wild bees and
qualitatively and quantitatively.
other wild life.
It has been reported that there
Intensification and diversifi- are more than 25000 described * Value of additional yield
cation are the present pressing species of bees in the world and obtained due to bee
needs for the sustenance of account for 65% pollination of pollination alone is 15-20
Indian agriculture and are likely various flowering crops. times more than the value
to be vigorously followed in Primarily two honey bee of all the hive products put
future in order to support the species viz., Apis cerana together.
burgeoning population. Bees indica and Apis mellifera have * The total value of pollination
are the important components been successfully domesticated services rendered by all
of agro-ecosystem as they and practices for their insects globally comes in
provide free ecosystem management for pollination of excess of 100 billion US
services in t he form of crops have been standardized dollars annually (2003
pollination which not only for many crops. Being the valuation).
enhance the productivity of pollination service provider
agricultural crops but also help * In India 50 million hectares
bees contribute handsomely in
in conservation of biological of land is under bee
diversity through propagation dependent.
of wild flora besides, providing * It has been estimated that
honey and other hive products. bees are gainfully tapping
Apiculture (Beekeeping) as non only about 1/4th of the
land based income and available floral resources of
employment generating activity the country.

44 September - 2010
 Orissa Review

body parts are specially Ø Enhances resistance to

modified to pick up many diseases and other adverse
pollen grains, climatic conditions,
flower fidelity and Ø Increases the oil content in
constancy, oil seed crop.
potential for long hours, Increase in yield due to bee
maintainability of high pollination: It has been
populations as and when established through research
needed, that , installation of 3-5 bee
colonies of Apis cerana indica
adaptability to different
/ acre of crop increased the
climates and niches,
seed yield in sunflower by
through micromanipulation 79%,mustard by 55%,niger by
of flowers, 33%, sesamum by 15%,
* Of the 90% of flowers Qualitative and quantitative safflower by 64%, cotton by
which are cross pollinated, changes in crop plants due 18%, litchi by 20%, coconut by
85% depend upon insects to bee pollination : As a result 40%, and gourd crops by 20%.
for pollination. of cross pollination by bees, Management of bee hives
* Being a mega diversity somatic, reproductive and for pollination: Honey bee
country there are about adaptive heterosis or hybrid colonies used for pollination
1000 species of bee forage effect occur in plant progeny. require a certain minimum
plants offering rich food to Such hybrid effect brings the management besides protecting
all the four important following qualitative and them from diseases and natural
species of honey bees. quantitative changes in plants: enemies.
Ø Stimulate germination of
* The estimated losses in a) Strength of colony:
pollen on stigma,
India due to complete Large and stronger colonies (6-
absence of bee pollination Ø Increase viability of seeds, 7 brood frame) are four to five
has been measured to be embryos and plants, times better pollinators than
somewhere between Ø More nutritive and aromatic smaller and weaker ones as it
Rs.10,000 to Rs.55,000 fruits, has greater foraging bee
per hectare in some crops. population at all the times .
Ø Stimulate faster growth of
Advantages of bee There should be enough adult
plants,
pollination: bees to fully cover 8 frames and
Ø Increases number and sizes a young prolific queen. A hive
Honey bees are the most of seeds and yield of crops, used for pollination should
efficient pollinators of several contain enough honey and
Ø Increases nectar
agricultural, horticultural, pollen stores.
production in the nectaries,
silvicultural, fodder and wild
plants because of their following Ø Increases fruit set and b) Number of colonies
characteristics: reduces fruit drop, required: The number of

September - 2010 45
Orissa Review

colonies required for pollination e) Attracting bee

of different cultivated crops pollinators to a crop in
depends upon the several bloom: Bees should be fed
factors like: density of plant sugar syrup flavoured by the
stand, number of flowers per flowers required to bee
inflorescence, duration of pollinated in order to attract
flowering, strength of bee large number of bees for
colonies and number of flowers effective pollination.
per unit area. In general three
Protecting the bees from
colonies of Apis ceran indica
pesticide poisoning: Irrational
and two colonies of Apis Ø Co lonies may be
and indiscriminate application of
mellifera are required per temporarily shifted if heavy
non specific broad spectrum
hectare. spraying schedule is fixed,
pesticides give devastating set
c) Time and placement back to the non target useful Ø If shifting of colonies is not
of colonies : For better fauna mainly pollinators and possible, feed the colonies with
pollination, bee colonies should biocontrol agents. Various ways 200ml of sugar syrup and close
be placed in the field or to reduce bee poisoning are: the entrance gate by using wire
orchard at night times when 10 screen for the day of spraying.
Ø Persuade the farmers not
to 20 per cent of the crop is in
to use pesticides or use Bee pollination in the
bloom.
selective pesticides that are less context of agricultural
d) Distribution of harmful to bees at development in Odisha: The
colonies in the field: recommended concentrations, salubrious climate and diverse
Honeybees as a rule visit bee flora of Odisha make the
primarily those sources of Ø Avoid the use of dust state paradise for apiculture.
nectar which are within 0.3 to formulation as they are harmful
to bees than spray formulation, Major bee flora are:
0.5kms radius from the apiary.
The po llination activity Agricultural crops : Niger,
Ø Prior information about
diminishes significantly at a Sunflower, Mustard, Arhar,
spraying would help in reducing
distance more than 0.5kms. The Sesame.
poisoning of bees,
number of honey bees on the Horticultural crops : Litchi,
crop decreases with increased Ø Avoid spraying of Co conut, Guava, Ber,
distance of the crop from the pesticides during flowering of Drumstick, Citrus, Coriander.
colonies and there is the crop and peak foraging time
of the bees would help in Agro-forestry : Eucalypt us,
corresponding decrease in fruit Cashew, Bael, Silk cotton,
set, production and reduction in the mortality of
Sesbania sp. Acacia, Cassia
productivity. For effective foraging bees,
sp. Siris (Albizia lebbeck),
pollination Apis cerana indica Ø Spraying may be done in Arjun(Terminalia arjuna).
hive should be placed singly the evening hours when bees
Forestry : Teak, Tamarind,
instead of groups. do not forage,
Mahua, Amla, Sal, Gravillea

46 September - 2010
 Orissa Review

pteridifolia, Karanj, Palas, Further, the crops Conclusion:

Sisoo (Dalbergia sissoo). needing pollination services of Applied pollination,
Potential districts for the bees are spread over an pollinator management, and
exclusively forest honey : area of about 486 thousand managed pollination are the
Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, hectares. At the minimum common efforts recently being
Nayagarh, Gajapati requirement of 3 beehives / practiced for maximization of
hectare there is a need of 14.5 production in cross pollinated
Potential districts for forest
honey and apiary honey: lakh colonies which is 25.3 crops and to bring the pollinator
Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj, times higher than the existing to the target crop. In view of
Sundergarh, Sambalpur, figures (i.e. 57,491) to exploit great role of bees in pollination
Ganjam, Kalahandi, Angul, the flora simultaneously of various crops, they need to
Keonjhar, Rayagada, Koraput. contributing to conservation of be conserved, augmented and
floristic diversity of the state. supplemented with domesti-
The state has an area
Thus, creating awareness cated honey bees.
of about 115 thousand hectares
under fruit crops like mango, supported by technical know
guava, citrus, litchi, ber, and how for expansion of bee
coconut. Similarly, agricultural keeping will not only add to the
crops like arhar, sesamum, production of honey and other
Dr. L.N. Mohapatra, Dr. B.K.
sunflower, mustard, and niger hive products of the state but
Sontakke and Mr. N. Ransingh are
are grown over an area of also immensely to t he workin g in the O.U.A.T.,
about 526 thousand hectares. productivity of the crops. Bhubaneswar.

His Excellency the Governor of Orissa Shri Murlidhar Chandrakant

Bhandare at the Regional Meet on review of National Policy for Older
Persons at SIRD, Bhubaneswar on 27.8.2010. Smt. Pramila Mallick,
Minister for Women & Child Development is also present.

September - 2010 47