Cotton pollination by honeybees

Abstract

In a field trial, significant increases for the total number of bolls harvested (11.1%), total mass of bolls (16.5%), total lint mass (15.8%), total seed mass (19.7%) and total number of seeds per sample (16.5%) were obtained from plots receiving the highest number of bee visits compared with plots receiving the lowest number of bee visits. Lint-quality examinations resulted in a significant improvement for micronaire and fineness with increased bee visits. Non-significant increases were obtained for the mass of 100 seeds (3.8%), average single seed weight (3.9%), average number of seeds per boll (4.7%) and average weight of lint per boll (5.0%). Caged plots with honey bees had significantly greater total boll mass; total seed mass; and average single-seed weight than caged plots without honey bees.