Melissopalynological determination of the Pollen density, Botanical origin and Ogiek Honey types in Eastern Mau Forest, Kenya

Abstract

The current international market demands for the set up of honey quality control protocols according to the botanical origin based on pollen content. The objective of the present study was to determine the pollen density, honey types, and botanical origin of honey from the Eastern Mau Ogiek beekeepers as a reference to commercial strategies for sellers and buyers. 27 honey samples, three from each of the strata (Mariashoni, Kapkembu, and Nessuit) were collected at the end of April, 2016; August 2016; December, 2016 from the hives of Beekeeping Ogieks in Eastern Mau forest region. 10g of the honey samples were processed through approved melissopalynological procedures. Absolute pollen counts ranged from 47,898-160,200/10g. 59.3% and 40.7% of honey samples fell into classes II and III respectively with no representations of Classes I, IV and V. 29.63% of the honey samples were unifloral, while the rest constituted heterofloral honey. Unifloral honey samples were observed from the three mesoregions of Eastern Mau forest. 50% of the unifloral honey were collected in April (2016). Botanical origin from predominant pollen types were Acacia type, Eucalyptus type, Croton spp. type, Albizia coriaria type, Cordia abyssinica type, and Vernonia auriculifera type. The extent of predominance ranged from (47.1%-66.40%), there was bifloral honey observed in MA-S1-DE sample (Vernonia auriculifera type and Croton spp. type, 46.0% and 47.50% respectively). Secondary pollen ranged from (16.4%-43.4%). All honey samples were floral honey.