Studies on the enhancement of seed yield of sunflower (KBSH -1) with one colony and two colonies of Apis mellifera per acre were made at Mulkoti (Distriet-Gadag) during rabi season of 2001. Mean bee visits were significantly high (1.93 bees/S flower heads/min) in the plot with two bee colonies. Consequently crop pollinated with two bee colonies showed significantly higher seed filling (93.8%), 100 seed weight (4.7 g), oil content (37.8%). yield (21.8 q/ha) and germination (93.6%) compared to the croppollinated with one colony which registered 86.6% seed filling, 4.2 g test weight, 19.5 q/ha yield, 36.5% oil content and 85.6% germination. The extent of increase in (he yield by having two colonies was 11.8% and 101.8% over one colony and no colony, respectively. Significantly lowest yield of 10.8 q/ha was obtained from the crop where no colony was kept. It is concluded from the present studies that two colonies of A. mellifera per acre are required to boost the yield and quality of sunflower seeds.
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