Selection and Performance Evaluation of Local Honeybee (&lt;i&gt;Apis mellifera bandasii&lt;/i&gt;) for Stock Improvement in Ethiopia

Taye Negera,Zewudu Ararso,Kibebew Wakjira

doi:10.11648/j.abb.20200803.11

Abstract

Human management and selective breeding are believed to improve many economically important strains of a given honeybee population to benefit the beekeepers. Selective breeding is supposed to be a promising way to estimate value of stock improvement elsewhere, though it is not a common practice in our local honeybees. Thus, to evaluate, select and maintain the best performing stock of local honeybee colonies based on different performance parameters, we obtained 120 honeybee colonies of Apis mellifera bandasii from local beekeepers within traditional hives and transferred into movable frame hive at two apiaries. All the transferred colonies were managed properly to establish themselves and acquire uniform strength. At each of the two sites 50 colonies with similar resources (brood, nectar and pollen) and colony strengths were selected and maintained under continues follow-ups for data collections. The colonies were evaluated for different parameters such as brood development, brood solidness, hygienic behavior and honey yield. The results of the study indicated that honeybee colonies after selection showed significant differences in brood solidness, hygienic behaviors and honey yield compared to honeybee’s population before selection. This study revealed a 42% increment in honey yield only due to selecting and rearing of queens from the best performing lines. Moreover, brood quality (solidness) and hygienic behavior of local honeybee colonies were significantly improved from 86.6 to 94.3% and 86.0% to 91.2% due to selection. From this practical point of view, it is possible to conclude that there is a possibility of improving the production performance of native stock through selection and breeding of maternal lines.

Highlights

The process of domestication often brings about profound changes in levels of genetic variation in animals and plants
Category of test colonies Before selection After culling colonies performed below average honey yield Queens reared from selected colonies
The brood quality, hygienic behavior expression and honey yield of the honeybee colonies belonging to selection population was observed to change over time aided with selective breeding

Summary

Introduction

The process of domestication often brings about profound changes in levels of genetic variation in animals and plants. The honeybees, Apis mellifera, has been managed by humans for centuries for both honey and beeswax production and crop pollination. Human management and selective breeding are believed to have improved many economically important strains that benefit beekeepers [14]. Genetic improvement in any organism has the objective of increasing the gene frequencies of the economic importance of loci to be selected in the population. This means increasing the frequency of the number of colonies that produce above the average generation from which the selection was made [17]. This means increasing the number of colonies that produce above the average generation from which the selection can be made.[2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion