ISSN 2756-343X
Global Journal of Food and Agribusiness Management Vol. 2 (9), pp. 001-007, September, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Pollination of the broad bean (Vicia faba L.var. major) (Fabaceae) by wild bees and honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) and its impact on the seed production in the Tizi-Ouzou area (Algeria)
Malika Aouar-sadli1*, Kamel Louadi2 and Salah-Eddine Doumandji3
1Laboratoire d’Entomologie. Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences Biologiques et des sciences
Agronomiques, Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi-Ouzou 15000, Algérie.
2Laboratoire de Biosystématique et d’écologie des Arthropodes, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature, Université Mentouri Constantine, DZ-25000, Algérie.
3Institut National Agronomique El Harrach, Alger, Algérie
Accepted 03 March, 2018
Abstract
An experiment conducted with caged plots confirmed the large seed yield of Vicia faba L. in the presence of pollinating insects during the flowering season of the year 2003. The plants that were accessible to pollinators provided more pods per plant, more seeds per pods; the pods were longer and the seeds were heavier than the encaged plants. Among the pollinating insects of Vicia faba, in the Tizi Ouzou area (Algeria), the wild bee Eucera pulveracea Dours was the most abundant and seemed to be the most effective pollinator. His visits were all able to fertilize the flowers. On the contrary, several floral visits of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. and all visits of Xylocopa violacea were “nectar robbery” through the holes made by the bumblebees at the base of the corolla. The floral visits of Eucera pulveracea L. were also faster (10 visits per minute).
Key words: Wild bees, Vicia faba, pollination, yield, foraging behaviour, Eucera pulveracea, Apis mellifera.