ORIGINAL ARTICLE
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Syzygium cumini, Azadirachta indica and Coriandrum sativum were the predominant pollen found in honey during the summer season.
  • The Asteraceae family was frequently dominant in honey collected from the Prayagraj District.
  • The present study indicates that the Prayagraj District has good potential for beekeeping ventures because of the high diversity of nectar and pollen taxa during the summer season.
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Eighteen Apis dorsata Fabricius summer honey samples collected from Prayagraj District (Uttar Pradesh) during the summer season were analysed for pollen content. A total of 43 pollen types belonging to 26 plant families were found in these samples. Five of the 18 honey samples were found to be unifloral; 13 were multifloral. In terms of frequency, pollen of Syzygium cumini, Azadirachta indica and Coriandrum sativum were recorded as predominant pollen types, 11 pollen types as secondary pollen types, 23 as important minor pollen types, and 38 as minor pollen types. The Asteraceae family showed the highest frequency of occurrence. Four pollen types were recorded in more than 50% of the honey samples: Ageratum conyzoides, Bombax ceiba, Azadirachta indica and Syzygium cumini. Absolute pollen type counts per 10 g of honey samples ranged from group II to group V. The aim of determining and evaluating the pollen data was to infer the flora visited by the honeybees during the summer season in Prayagraj District. The findings were correlated with the pattern of vegetation in the vicinity of the bee hive sites during honey production. The study indicates that Prayagraj District has good potential for beekeeping ventures, due to the high diversity of nectar- and pollen-producing taxa during the summer season.
REFERENCES (60)
1.
Attri, P.K., 2010. Melissopalynological studies of Apis cerena summer honey from Chamba district of the Himachal Pradesh. Asian Journal of Experimental Biological Sciences 1(4), 930–939.
 
2.
Barth, O.M., 2004. Melissopalynology in Brazil: a review of pollen analysis of honeys, propolis and pollen loads of bees. Scientia Agricola 69, 342–350. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0103-....
 
3.
Bera, S., Mukhopadhyay, S.K., Dhar, J., Das, A.P., De, S., 1997. A melittopalynological investigation of Apis cerana indica Fabr. summer honey from Sikkim and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, India. Palynology 33, 209–128.
 
4.
Bera, S., Dixit, S., Basumatary, S., Sharma, G.C., 2007. Pollen analysis of honey from Kamrup Reserve forests, Assam. Journal of Palynology 43, 57–65.
 
5.
Bhargava, H.R., Jyothi, J.V.A., Bhushanam, M., Surendra, N.S., 2009. Pollen analysis of Apis honey Karnataka, India. Apiacta 44, 14–19.
 
6.
Bhusari, N.V., Mate, D.M., Makde, K.H., 2005. Pollen of Apis honey from Maharashtra. Grana 44, 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/001731....
 
7.
Chakraborti, T., Bhattacharya, K., 2011. Vegetational impact over bee forage in relation to seasonal variation: An observation in some honey samples of West Bengal and Orissa. Journal of Palynology 47, 69–76.
 
8.
Chanda, S., Ganguly, P., 1981. Comparative analysis of pollen content of Indian honeys with reference to entomophily and anemophily. IV International Palynology Conference, Lucknow. 3, 485–490.
 
9.
Chauhan, M.S., Murthy, S., 2010. Melittopalynological investigation of honeys from Chamarajanagar district, Southern Karnataka, India. Geophytology 39(1–2), 41–47.
 
10.
Chauhan, M.S., Quamar, M.F., 2010. Melissopalynological investigation of honeys from Harda district, Madhya Pradesh. Phytomorphology 60(3–4), 122–127.
 
11.
Chauhan, M.S., Singh, S.K., 2010. Melittopalynological investigation of honey from Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh. Journal of Applied Bioscience 36(2), 133–136.
 
12.
Chauhan, M.S., Trivedi, A., 2011. Pollen analysis of honey from Lucknow district Uttar Pradesh. Journal of Applied Biosciences 37(1), 48–51.
 
13.
Chauhan, M.S., Farooqui, A., Trivedi, A., 2015. Impact of urbanization, deforestation and foraging pattern of honey bees. Indian Journal of Applied Research 5(4), 44–47.
 
14.
Chauhan, M.S., Farooqui, A., Trivedi, A., 2017. Plant foraged by bees for honey production in northern India: The diverse flora of India and its implications for apiculture. Acta Palaeobotanica 57(1), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1515/acpa-2....
 
15.
Cherian, K.J., Bhowal, M., Godghate, S.D., 2011. Pollen and physicochemical analysis of honey produced by Apis cerana indica of Nagpur, Maharashtra (India). Journal of Environmental Research and Development 5(3), 542–550.
 
16.
De Mesquita, L.X., Maracajá, P.B., Sakamoto, S.M., Soto-Blanco, B., 2010. Toxic evaluation in honey bees (Apis mellifera) of pollen from selected plants from the semi-arid region of Brazil. Journal of Apicultural Research 49(3), 265–269. https://doi.org/10.3896/ibra.1....
 
17.
Dixit, S., Basumatary, S.K., Bera, S.K., Rahman, A., Rabha, D., Thomas, S., 2012. Melissopalynological investigation from Goalpara district of Assam, northeast India. Journal of Palynology 47, 77–87.
 
18.
Dixit, S., Basumatary, S.K., Singh, H., Bera, S.K., 2013. Melissopalynological studies of western part of Almora district, Uttarakhand. The Palaeobotanist 62, 39–46.
 
19.
CENSUS OF INDIA. 2011. District Census Handbook Allahabad, Series-10 Part Xii-A, Directorate of Census Operations Uttar Pradesh India.
 
20.
Erdtman, G., 1960. The Acetolysis method: A revised description. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift 54, 561–564.
 
21.
Feller-Demalsy, J., Parent, J., Strachan, A.A., 1987. Microscopic analysis of honeys from Alberta, Canada. Journal of Apicultural Research 27(2), 123–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/002188....
 
22.
Ghugal, S.I., Rahile, B.S., Bramhankar, K.B., 2015. Pollen analysis of honey samples from different geographic area of Bhandara district of Maharashtra. International Journal for Researches in Biosciences, Agriculture & Technology 35(1), 183–187.
 
23.
Harugade, S., Gawate, A.B., Shinde, B., 2016. Bee flora diversity of medicinal plants in Vidya Pratishtan campus, Baramati, Pune, District (M.S.) India. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 5, 425–431. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcma....
 
24.
Jana, D., Bera, S., 2004. Sonneratia apetala Buch-ham as major nectar sources for honey bees during mid-summer days in Sundarbans, West Bengal, India. Phytomorphology 54(1–2), 51–57.
 
25.
Jana, D., Bandyopadhyay, A., Bera, S., 2002. Pollen analysis of winter honey samples from Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Geophytology 30, 91–97.
 
26.
Jhansi, P., Kalpana, T.P., Ramanujam, C.G.K., 1991. Pollen analysis of rock bee summer honeys from the Prakasam district of the Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Apicultural Research 30, 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/002188....
 
27.
Jose, M., Demalsy, F., Parent, J., Alexander, A.S., 1989. Microscopic analysis of honey from Manitoba, Canada. Journal of Apicultural Research 28, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/002188....
 
28.
Kalpana, T.P., Ramanujam, C.G.K., 1990. Melittopalynology of Prosopis juliflora honeys from Ranga Reddy district (Andhra Pradesh) and its significance. Indian Bee Journal 52(1–4), 44–46.
 
29.
Kalpana T.P., Fatima, K., Ramanujam, C.G.K., 1990. Pollen analysis of Apis cerana and Apis florae honeys from Adikmet area, Hyderabad. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Plant Sci.) 100(3), 183–193.
 
30.
Laxmikant, B., Mate, D., 2014. Summer pollen source to Apis dorsata honey bees from Bramhapuri forest area of Chandrapur district Maharashtra state (India). International Journal of Life Sciences 2(2), 160–164.
 
31.
Laxmikant, B., Mate, D., 2016. Melittopalynological study of squeezed summer honey collected from forest area of Sindewahi tahasil of Chandrapur district (Maharashtra state). International Journal of Science and Research 5(6), 2053–2060. https://doi.org/10.21275/v5i6.....
 
32.
Lakshmi, K., Suryanarayana, M.C., 2004. Melittopalynological investigation of Apis dorsata honeys from forest area of Cuddaph district, Andhra Pradesh. Journal of Palynology 40, 189–198.
 
33.
Layek, U., Bhakat, R.K., Karmakar, P., 2015. Foraging behavior of Apis florae Fabricius during winter and spring-summer in Bankura and Paschim Medinipur districts, West Bengal. Global Journal of Bio-Science and Biotechnology 4(3), 255–263.
 
34.
Layek, U., Nandi, T., Karmakar, P., 2016. Pollen forage and storage pattern of Apis dorsata Fabri. in Bankura and Paschim Medinipur district, West Bengal. International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience 4(5), 59–71. https://doi.org/10.18782/2320-....
 
35.
Layek, U., Mondal, R., Karmakar, P., 2020. Honey sample collection methods influence pollen composition in determining true-nectar foraging bee plants. Acta Botanica Brasilica 34(3), 478–486. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-3....
 
36.
Louveaux, J., Maurizio, A.,Vorwohl, G., 1978. Methods of melissopalynology. Bee World 59, 139–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/000577....
 
37.
Mate, D.M., 2015. Melittopalynological studies on Apis dorsata honey samples collected during the summer season in Bhiwapur tahsil of Nagpur District, Maharashtra state. Journal of Innovation in Sciences II(2), 69–72.
 
38.
Mishra, B.K., Verma, B.K., 1992. Flora of Allahabad district U.P., India. Bishan Singh, Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. pp. 283.
 
39.
Noor, M.J., Ahmad, M., Ashraf, M.A., Zafar, M., Sultana, S., 2016. A review of pollen analysis of South Asian honey to identify the bee floras of the region. Palynology 40, 54–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/019161....
 
40.
Pal, P.K., Karmarkar, P., 2013. Pollen analysis in understanding the foraging behavior of Apis mellifera in Gangetic West Bengal. Geophytology 42, 93–114.
 
41.
Ponnuchamy, R., Bonhomme, V., Prasad, S., 2014. Honey pollen: using melissopalynology to understand foraging preferences of bees in tropical South India. PLoS ONE 9, 1016–1018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journa....
 
42.
Ramakrishna, H., Swati, S., 2013. Pollen diversity in some Apis florae honeys from Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Geophytology 42, 11–20.
 
43.
Ramanujam, C.G.K., 1994. Forage resources for rock bees during May to July in deciduous forests of Ranga reddy district, Andhra Pradesh. Geophytology 24, 119–122.
 
44.
Ramanujam, C.G.K., Khatija, F., 1992. Summer pollen sources of Apis dorsata honeybees in deciduous forest of Mahboobnagar District, Andhra Pradesh. Geophytology 21, 155–161.
 
45.
Ramanujam, C.G.K., Kalpana, T.P., 1992. Tamarindus indica L.: An important forage plant for Apis florae F in south central India. Apidologie 23, 403–413. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:....
 
46.
Ramirez-Arriaga, E., Navarro-Calvo, L.A., Diaz-Carbajal, E., 2011. Botanical characterisation of Mexican honeys from a subtropical region (Oaxaca) based on pollen analysis. Grana 50, 40–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/001731....
 
47.
Rehel, S.M., Padmavathi, S., 2014. Melittopalynological analysis of Apis dorsata honey of Kotagiri slopes, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development 3, 391–394.
 
48.
Sahney, M., Rahi, S., Kumar, A., Jaiswal, R., 2018. Melissopalynological studies on winter honeys from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Palynology 42(4), 540–552. https://doi.org/10.1080/019161....
 
49.
Seethalakshmi, T.S., 1983. Melittopalynological investigations on some Indian honeys. In: Proc 2nd Int. Conf. Apic. Trop. Climates (1980), Indian Agricultural Research Institute New Delhi. pp. 609–622.
 
50.
Shubharani, R., Sivaram, V., Roopa, P., 2012. Assessment of honey plants resources through pollen analysis in Coorg honeys of Karnataka state. International Journal of Plant Reproductive Biology 4, 31–39.
 
51.
Shukla, V., Kumar, A., 2020. Melissopalynological and physicochemical analysis of honey samples from Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh. Acta Palaeo­botanica 60(1), 123–133. https://doi.org/10.35535/acpa-....
 
52.
Singh, T.S., Suryanarayana, M.C., 1997. Melittopalynological investigation on honey of Karnataka. Indian Bee Journal 59(2), 79–83.
 
53.
Sivaram, V., Roopa, P., Shubharani, R., Suwanna­pong, G., 2012. Pollen analysis in honeys collected from Karnataka region of Nilgiri Biosphere, South India. Journal of Apiculture 27(3), 223–231.
 
54.
Suryanarayana, M.C., Seethalakshmi, T.S., Phadke R.P., 1981. Pollen analysis of Indian honeys 1. Honeys from Litchi (Nephelium litchi) and Jamun (Syzygium cumini). Proc. IV International Palynology Conference, Lucknow 3, 491–498.
 
55.
Suryanarayana, M.C., Rao, G.M., Singh, T.S.M.S., 1992. Studies on pollen sources for Apis cerana Fabr. and Apis mellifera L. bees at Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India. Apidologie 23, 33–48. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:....
 
56.
Tiwari, P., Tiwari, J.K., Ballabha, R., 2010. Studies on sources of bee-forage for rock bee (Apis dorsata F.) from Garhwal Himalaya, India: A melissopalynological approach. Nature and Science 8(6), 5–15.
 
57.
Tripathi, S., Basumatary, S.K., Bera, S.K., Brahma, M., Sharma, G.C., 2017. A palynological study of natural honeys from the Bongaigaon district of Assam, northeast India. Palynology 41(3), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/019161....
 
58.
Upadhyay, D., Bhattacharya, S., Ferguson, D.K., Bera, S., 2014. Prospects of apicultural entrepreneurship in coastal district of eastern India: A melissopalynological evaluation. PLoS ONE 9(4), e94572.https://doi.org/10.1371/journa....
 
59.
Von Der Ohe, W., Persano, O.L., Piana, L., Morlot, M., Martin, P., 2004. Harmonized methods of melissopalynology. Apidologie 35, 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:....
 
60.
Wodehouse, R.P., 1935. Pollen Grains, their Structure, Identification and Significance in Science and Medicine. New York and London: Mc. Graw Hill. Book Company, Inc.
 
 
CITATIONS (5):
1.
Pollen morphology and its implication in the taxonomy of some selected taxa of the bi and tri‐ovulate Euphorbiaceae of the Hainan Island by using multiple microscopic techniques
Saraj Bahadur, Sehrish Taj, Wenxing Long, Mushtaq Ahmad
Microscopy Research and Technique
 
2.
Pollen diversity of honey from northern and southern Prayagraj district Uttar Pradesh, India
Vibhasa Shukla, Kottapalli Rao, Deepika Tripathi
Grana
 
3.
Diversity matters: Diet of Apis cerana in southeast India includes one consistently occurring and several seasonally available floral sources
Jean Lazar, Srinivasan Prasad, Doris Barboni, Lipi Das, Vadivelu Kumaresan, Krishnamurthy Anupama
Palynology
 
4.
Palyno–morphological and isotopic characterization of monofloral and multifloral honeys from Lucknow, India
Sumaiyah Farooqui, Md Firoze Quamar, Anjum Farooqui, Rajesh Agnihotri, Salman Khan
Journal of Palaeosciences
 
5.
Volatile organic compounds of honeys produced by Apis dorsata fabricius
Vibhasa Shukla, K. S. Rao, Hina Chaudhary
Vegetos
 
eISSN:2082-0259
ISSN:0001-6594
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top