ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination
TRANSGENIC RAPESEED (BRASSICA NAPUS L. VAR. OLEIFERA METZGER): EFFECT ON THE FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF HONEYBEES |
| Authors: | A.-L. Picard, M.-H. Pham-Delegue, Ph. Douault, C. Masson |
| Abstract:
Rapeseed selection programs increasingly focus on the creation of transgenic varieties. Because rapeseed flowers produce abundant nectar and pollen, they attract numerous insects pollinators, mostly honeybees, and because genetic modifications may bring about biochemical changes in plant secretions collected by the foragers, it is important to take into account the consequences of the future extended use of such varieties on beneficial insects. Among the attraction cues, nectar appears to be a key parameter in foraging behavior. We first investigated the effect of sugar quality of nectar secretion on foraging activity by conducting experiments with free flying bees kept under controlled conditions in a flight room. Foragers were allowed to visit an experimental device with 6 artificial flower feeders containing one of three different sugar solutions (sucrose, fructose, mixture of sucrose + fructose). Foraging activity (i.e. number of new foragers visiting the device pooled over the experiment) as well as olfactory learning performances on this device was studied as a function of the quality of the reward. We then considered the effect of the products coded for by the gene introduced into the plant and possibly expressed in flower secretions. By observing foraging behavior on (i) on fresh plants, comparing selected plants to controls (ii) on the feeding device which presents foragers with sugar solutions alone or with the chemicals to be tested. Such experiments contribute to the definition of some parameters involved in the food choices of honeybees, and can be used as a screening tool for investigating the consequences of genetic plant breeding programs on pollinating insects. | |
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