
%0 Journal Article
%A Manning, R. 
%A Manning, R. 
%A Boland, J. 
%A Boland, J. 
%T A preliminary investigation into honey bee (<emph type="2">Apis mellifera</emph>) pollination of canola (<emph type="2">Brassica napus</emph> cv. Karoo) in Western Australia
%J Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
%D 2000/07/04
%V 40
%N 3
%P 439-442
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/EA98148
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/EA98148 
%X The aim of this preliminary experiment was to evaluate the effect of distance from the apiary on pod yield in canola. Beehives were used at a density of 1.28 hives/ha. The results showed that the number of pods/plant decreased as distance from the apiary increased, when plant height and branch number were used as explanatory variables. Multiple linear regression indicated a predicted pod loss of 15.3 pods/plant over a distance of 1000 m from an apiary. This was equivalent to a 16% loss based on an average of 59 plants/m2 and average pod production of 5666 pods/m2 from this experiment. For a 2 t/ha crop this would be equivalent to about 320 kg/ha. The results are only indicative because of the variation in the crop studied and lack of replication, but may, in fact, be a conservative estimate. 
