Pollination effect by honeybees to onion hybrid seed production

Abstract

Studies were carried out on large commercial fields of flowering onion (Allium cepa L.) plants. The honeybee pollination effect on seed hybrid onion was observed in two ratios of male-fertile to male-infertile plants, 1:2 (conventional) and 1:4. The experiment was lay out in a complete block design with four replications in 2 x 3 factorial. Bee colonies were placed on caged and uncaged plots, corresponding to 12 hives/ha and compared with caged plots without insects. In uncaged plots honeybees were the most frequent visitors and the seed set, the weight of 1,000 seeds, and the seed number were high (P < 0.05). The seed set in these plots were 254 kg/ha, corresponding to an increase of 409% compared with the regional seed set. There wasn't any significant difference for agent to germination capacity, number of seeds per floret (P > 0.05). On caged plots without insects the production wasn't good enough. Neither the ratio effect nor the interaction of agent on the ratio showed any significant difference (P > 0.05). The 1:4 ratio can be recommended because of its best productivity.