Karnataka J. Agric. Sci.

, 22(4) : (909-911) 2009

Influence of attractants on bee visitation to radish

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is a quick growing and
short duration vegetable crop. It belongs to family Brassicaceae.
In Karnataka, radish is grown in 6035 ha with the production of
11 tones/ha (Anon, 2001). Radish is a cross-pollinated crop due
to sporophytic system of self-incompatibility. It shows
considerable inbreeding depression on selfing. It is
entomophilous, pollinated by wild honey bees, wild-flower flies,
bumble bees, Hymenopterans, Dipterans, Coleopterans,
Lepidopteraous, etc. Any material to increase the honeybee’s
visits to specific crop would be of great practical value to harness
the benefits of cross-pollination. Commercial and local bee
attractants viz., Bee line, Bee scent, Bee scent plus, fruit boost
and Bee-Q are being used to boost the yield of pear, peach, blue
berries, watermelon and apple in the United States, Spain and
Canada. Use of attractants has received greater interest in recent
days and several proprietary pollinator attractants are available
commercially. Attractants with phago-stimulatory and olfacto-
stimulatory effects such as Bee-Q, Fruit boost, Bee-scent and
Bee-here have received the attention of scientists as well as
farmers worldwide.
The present investigations were carried out in farmers
fields at Marewada village nearby University of Agricultural
Sciences, Dharwad. The study was made on crop raised during
rabi-summer, 2004-05. The experiment was laid out in Randomized
Block Design (RBD) with seven treatments replicated thrice.
For this study following attractants cacambe @ 10%, Bee-Q @
1.25%, sugarcane juice @ 10%, sugar solution @ 10%, jaggery
solution @ 10% and molasses @ 10% were used for the
comparison.
Crop was raised following recommended package of
practices. All the attractants were sprayed at 5 per cent flowering
twice at an interval of 15 days. In each plot, one square meter
area was randomly selected and number of different species of
pollinators visiting these flowers per five minute were recorded
at 0800, 1000, 1200, 1400 and 1600 hr. Such observations were
made a day before the spray and 1, 3 and 5 days after each
spray. Mean of all the observations were pooled for different
bee pollinators separately. The data were subjected to suitable
statistical analysis for inference after (v+1) transformation.
One day before the first spray (at 5% flowering) the
bee activity did not differ significantly. Cacambe @ 10 per cent
(14.78 bees/sq. m/5 min) (Table 1) proved best in attracting the
highest number of bees on first day after the spray. This was
followed by jaggery solution @ 10 per cent (11.57 bees/sq. m/5
min), Bee-Q @ 1.25 per cent (9.26 bees/sq. m/5m). Other
treatments were inferior to above treatments but superior over
control. On 3rd day and 5th day cacambe (10%) was found
significantly superior over rest of treatments. Remaining
treatments failed to discriminate with control. Similar results were
found after second spray. It is evident from the present study
that cacambe (10%) significantly induced phago-stimulatory and
olfacto-stimulatory effects in attracting more A. florea up to 3rd
after first spray and on 1st day after second spray.
The results obtained on cacambe (10%) and jaggery
solution (10%), are in line with results of Nidagundi (2004) who
reported the effectiveness of these treatments in attracting
higher number of bees in bitter gourd. Results obtained on the
efficacy of Bee-Q and sugar solution are in agreement with
many workers (Viraktamath and Patil, 1999 and Nidagundi, 2004).
A day before the first spray, bee visits were statistically
on par with each other in different treatments. However, on first
day after first spray, cacambe @ 10 per cent (9.32 bees/sq. m/5
min) (Table 2) attracted maximum number of bees on par with
jaggery solution (10%) followed by Bee-Q (1.25%). Whereas,
untreated control was found inferior to all the treatments.
On 3rd day and 5th day after first spray, cacambe (10%),
jaggery solution (10%) and Bee-Q (1.25%) were significantly
superior over rest of the treatments and were on par with each
other.

Table 1. Influence of attractants on visitation of A. florea

Sl. Bee visits/sq. m/5 min
st
No. Treatments 1 spray (5% flowering) 2nd spray
(50% flowering 15 days after 1st spray)
1 DBS 1 DAS 3 DAS 5DAS 1 DBSS 1 DASS 3 DASS 5DASS
1 Crop sprayed with Cacambe (10%) 3.90a 14.78a 26.58a 17.16a 8.30a 27.95a 20.85a 18.98a
2 Crop sprayed with Bee-Q (1.25%) 4.20a 9.26c 17.56c 15.90b 7.06 a
18.99 bc
18.70 ab
15.01b
a cd d
3 Crop sprayed with Sugarcane juice (10%) 4.40 7.82 10.41 7.76c 6.24 ab
17.25 c
15.35 bc
10.87c
4 Crop sprayed with Sugar solution (10%) 3.75a 7.55cd 11.63d 11.13b 5.93b 18.43bc 17.57ab 11.03c
5 Crop sprayed with Jaggery (10%) 3.97a 11.57b 20.63b 12.84b 8.29a 21.21b 19.75a 15.07b
a d e
6 Crop sprayed with Molasses (10%) 3.85 6.57 8.27 6.38c 6.01 b
10.80 d
13.70 c
8.15d
a e f
7 Crop with out any spray 3.66 4.88 5.62 5.76c 5.30 b
7.75 e
9.40 d
7.37d
DBS – Day before spray : DAS – Day after spray
Means followed by same letter in the column do not differ significantly by DMRT (P = 0.05)

*Part of M.Sc.(Agri.) thesis, submitted by the senior author to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad-580 005, India.

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Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 22(4), 2009

Table 2. Influence of attractants on visitation of A. cerana

Sl. Treatments Bee visits/sq. m/5 min
No. 1st spray (5% flowering) 2nd spray
(50% flowering 15 days after 1st spray)
1 DBS 1 DAS 5DAS 1 DBSS 1 DASS 5DASS
1 Crop sprayed with Cacambe (10%) 2.10a 9.32a 13.41a 6.31a 16.52a 9.44a
2 Crop sprayed with Bee-Q (1.25%) 1.92a 6.41b 12.48a 6.23a 12.98bc 8.86a
3 Crop sprayed with Sugarcane juice (10%) 1.87a 3.31d 8.36bc 5.51a 10.39d 4.91b
4 Crop sprayed with Sugar solution (10%) 1.98a 4.88c 9.77b 5.86a 11.69cd 6.26b
5 Crop sprayed with Jaggery (10%) 1.80a 7.75ab 12.18a 6.32a 15.26ab 8.51a
6 Crop sprayed with Molasses (10%) 1.74a 2.53d 7.59c 5.52a 8.71e 5.50b
7 Crop with out any spray 1.99a 1.17e 5.35d 5.54a 6.61e 3.45c
DBS – Day before spray : DAS – Day after spray
Means followed by same letter in the column do not differ significantly by DMRT (P = 0.05)

The present studies revealed that cacambe 10 per cent
had significantly higher olfacto stimulatory effect even upto
third day after spray, so it attracted more number of bees. Effect
of cacambe, in attracting A. cerana was reported by Nidagundi
(2004), stimulatory effectiveness of jaggery solution, molasses,
Bee-Q and sugar solution on niger reported by Anonymous
(2000) as also with present results
First day after spray of attractants, the treatment with
cacambe (10%) attracted maximum number of bees (5.21 bees /
sq. m/5 min) (Table 3) followed by jaggery solution (10%), Bee-
Q (1.25%) and sugar solution (10%).
On 5th day after first spray, jaggery solution (10%) and
cacambe (10%) were found to be successful in maintaining higher
efficacy in attracting bees (5.03 and 4.88 bees /sq. m/5 min
respectively). The remaining treatments Bee-Q (1.25%),
sugarcane solution (10%) and molasses (10%) were found less
effective but superior over control. Similar results were found
after second spray.

Table 3. Influence of attractants on visitation of A. dorsata

Bee visits/sq. m/5 min
Sl. Treatments 1st spray (5% flowering) 2nd spray
No. (50% flowering 15 days after 1st spray)
1 DBS 1 DAS 5DAS 1 DBSS 1 DASS 5DASS
1 Crop sprayed with Cacambe (10%) 1.00ab 5.21a 4.88a 1.84a 13.46a 5.22a
2 Crop sprayed with Bee-Q (1.25%) 1.90a 3.19c 3.82b 1.91a 9.34b 3.34b
3 Crop sprayed with Sugarcane juice (10%) 0.82b 1.93e 1.83c 1.88a 3.00d 1.49cd
4 Crop sprayed with Sugar solution (10%) 1.04a 2.39d 3.30b 1.82a 5.34c 1.91c
5 Crop sprayed with Jaggery (10%) 1.09a 4.10b 5.03a 1.88a 9.56b 3.87b
6 Crop sprayed with Molasses (10%) 1.11a 1.53f 1.69c 1.83a 2.21d 1.64cd
7 Crop with out any spray 0.92ab 0.78g 1.00d 1.75a 1.14e 1.10d
DBS – Day before spray : DAS – Day after spray
Means followed by same letter in the column do not differ significantly by DMRT (P = 0.05)

Table 4. Influence of attractants on visitation of other pollinators on radish

Sl. Bee visits/sq. m/5 min
st
No Treatments 1 spray (5% flowering) 2nd spray
(50% flowering 15 days after 1st spray)
1 DBS 1 DAS 3 DAS 5DAS 1 DBSS 1 DASS 3 DASS 5DASS
1 Crop sprayed with Cacambe (10%) 1.17a 6.13a 13.05a 10.99a 4.26a 11.21a 9.52a 5.35a
2 Crop sprayed with Bee-Q (1.25%) 1.17a 4.26b 10.06b 9.38a 3.88ab 8.49b 7.48a 4.32ab
3 Crop sprayed with Sugarcane juice (10%) 1.17a 1.94cd 5.67cd 5.42c 3.68ab 4.66cd 4.83b 2.67bc
4 Crop sprayed with Sugar solution (10%) 1.18a 2.83c 6.95c 6.83b 3.64ab 5.49c 5.55b 3.18bc
5 Crop sprayed with Jaggery (10%) 1.17a 4.32b 10.80ab 9.80a 4.12ab 9.21ab 8.87a 4.84a
6 Crop sprayed with Molasses (10%) 1.17a 1.67d 4.67d 4.96c 3.37b 3.40d 3.78bc 2.40c
7 Crop with out any spray 1.38a 1.20d 2.64e 2.80d 3.60ab 3.34e 3.08c 1.81c
DBS – Day before spray : DAS – Day after spray
Means followed by same letter in the column do not differ significantly by DMRT (P = 0.05)
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Influence of Attractants on Bee......................
Cacambe (10%) and jaggery solution (10%) were found
to be more effective in attracting higher number bees on 1st, 3rd
and 5th day after first spray and 3rd day after second spray.
Whereas, on 1st day after second spray, only cacambe (10%)
was found superior. This may be due to higher Olfacto-
stimulatory effect of cacambe by which it was successful in
attracting more number of bees on all days. Similar results on
effectiveness of cacambe (10%) and jaggery solution (10%) were
also observed by Nidagundi (2004) on bitter gourd and with
respect to Bee-Q and sugar solution by Viraktamath and Patil
(1999) and Nidagundi (2004).
A day before first spray (5% flowering), there was no
significant difference in visitation by other pollinators among
various treatments. However, one day after first spray, cacambe
Department of Agricultural Entomology,
University of Agricultural Sciences,
Dharwad - 580 005, Karnataka, India.
References
Anonymous, 2000, Annual Report for 1998-99, AICRP on honey bee
research and Training, Assam Agric. Sci., Dharwad, pp. 1-6.
Anonymous, 2001, Horticultural Crop Statistics of Karnataka State
at a Glance, Department of Horticulture, Lalbagh, Bangalore,
p. 24.
Kalmath, B., 2002, Impact of bee pollination on onion seed production.
M.Sc.(Agri.) thesis, Univ. Agric. Sci., Dharwad (India).
911
10 per cent (6.13 pollinator /sq. m/5 min) (Table 4) was found to
be significantly superior over other treatments, followed by
jaggery solution (10%) and Bee-Q (1.25%). Whereas, other
treatments were also found to be effective over control. On 3rd
day after On 5th day after first spray, cacambe (10%), jaggery
solution (10%) and Bee-Q (1.25%) were found to be significantly
superior in attracting higher number of other pollinators.
Whereas, other treatment except untreated control were found
to be equally effective but inferior to earlier treatment. Similar
results were found after second spray.
Use of Bee-Q do attract other pollinators according to
the report by Manjunath (2003). The increase in the visitation of
other pollinators with cacambe (10%), jaggery solution (10%)
and other attractants sprayed on onion plot was reported by
Kalmath (2002).
G . S. CHANDRASHEKHAR
H. N. SATTIGI
Manjunath, K., 2003, Field scale evaluation of bee attractants for their
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Nidagundi, B., 2004, Pollination potentiality of honeybees on yield of
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Viraktamath, S. A. and Patil, R. K., 1999, Preliminary studies on the
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