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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(10)

Seed yields in canola (Brassica napus cv. Karoo) depend on the distance of plants from honeybee apiaries

Rob Manning A C and Ian R Wallis B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Animal Unit, Research, Development and Biosecurity, Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Locked Bag No. 4, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia.

B School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: rmanning@agric.wa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(10) 1307-1313 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA02170
Submitted: 10 October 2002  Accepted: 23 July 2004   Published: 15 November 2005

Abstract

This research examined the benefits of placing hives of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in canola (Brassica napus L.) at a density of approximately 1 hive/ha. We tested 3 main hypotheses. First, deploying honeybees increases the yield of seed. Second, that the benefits of honeybee pollination decline the further plants are from an apiary. Third, poorly pollinated plants should channel more resources into larger seeds, whereas plants benefiting from insect pollination should produce more but smaller seeds. The experiment confirmed all 3 hypotheses. Yields of seed increased by more than 20% or by 400 kg/ha, whereas the yield declined in plots located more than 200 m from the apiary. There are several explanations for the increased yield, including an enhanced production of fertile pods and, therefore, more seed, particularly small seed.

Additional keywords: canola, Brassica napus, seed, distance, oil, pollination, pod, honeybee, Apis mellifera.


Acknowledgments

We thank Linda Manning for assistance with harvesting plots, and Clare Detchon, Tama Ferke, Maryse Galea, Linda Manning, Ron Clark and Jeff Beard with plant measurements. We thank the following Department of Agriculture staff: Peter Hanson and Ian Foster for climate data and Geoff de Chaneet for support. Cooperative Bulk Handling (in particular Grecian Sandiwell) allowed us to use their facilities. We thank the owners of Ceres Fields, Robert, Elizabeth and Peter Sewell and farm manager, David Pawsey, for their help and hospitality. We are most grateful to beekeepers John Springall and Phil Beales for committing themselves to the project. We thank the senior management of the Grain Pool of Western Australia, who funded the research, and their crop production specialist, Peter Nelson, for support. Dr Anne Cowling of the Statistical Consulting Unit at the Australian National University is thanked for her guidance in the analysis of the data. Three anonymous referees provided useful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript.


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