LUCERNE SEED PRODUCTION WITH RHOPHITOIDES CANUS EV. (HYMENOPTERA APOIDEA)

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 288: VI International Symposium on Pollination

LUCERNE SEED PRODUCTION WITH RHOPHITOIDES CANUS EV. (HYMENOPTERA APOIDEA)

Author:

V. PTACEK

Abstract:
Rhophitoides canus Ev. is a small grey underground nesting bee known as a very good lucerne pollinator. At the Troubsko-based Institute a special ecological method was adopted which enables the seed producer to increase gradually the natural population of this bee. The method consists in the following steps:

Securing food for emerging bees (food stripes of the first lucerne cut).
Timing the mass flowering of the seed stand (the second cut) with the top activity of the bee population.
Equal distribution of the bee population throughout the large seed fields (nesting stripes).
Reasonable plant protection measures with the lowest possible hazard to bees.

After 10-year experiments this method has now been used on the total area of 3.600 ha of lucerne seed fields.

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