EN

Abstract

Study was conducted to test the efficacy of the honeybees in the production of sunflower seeds. This experiment was conducted in Complete Randomized Block Design in the cropping season of 20112012 at Sinnar region, Sudan. Three different patterns of pollination i.e. pollination with honey bee (H), open pollination (O) and control without pollination (C) were tested for the seed set in sun flower. Each treatments contains twenty (20) plants. Results of study revealed significant differences among the tested pollination pattern. Among these highest seed set ratios (80% and 79%) were obtained in the open (O) and honey bee (H) pollination system. While only 45.2% seed set was reported in the control (C) where plants kept in closed system and away from insect pollination. Furthermore, the mean seeds weights per head (27.65g and 26.88g) were also reported higher in open and honey bee pollinated system and it was 162.3% and 155% higher than the control respectively. Similar types of trends was reported in the weight parameters of hundred seeds, the superiority was shown by open and honey bee pollination. This weight was 52% and 45% higher than the control treatment (C) respectively. Therefore, the results of the study revealed that use of honeybees as pollinator for sunflower can contribute in hybrid seed production in better manner.