Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony strength and its effects on pollination and yield in highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum).

ABSTRACT: Many pollination studies with honey bees have examined the effect of colony density on crop yield and yet overlook the effect of variation in the population size of these colonies. High colony density in northern highbush blueberry has been met with concerns from beekeepers who feel higher densities will intensify outbreaks of European foulbrood (EFB, Melissococcus plutonius, Truper and dé Clari), a honey bee brood disease. The purpose of this study was to confirm the prevalence of EFB in colonies pollinating blueberries and to determine whether field-level variation in the population of adult workers in colonies explained variation in blueberry fruit set and/or yield. We addressed these objectives over the course of two production seasons at 13 commercial blueberry fields in Oregon

SUBMITTER: Grant KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8323595 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature