Author(s):

Sujata Kumari and Kiran Rana

Abstract: The efficacy of different bee attractants in attracting insect pollinators to onion (Allium cepa L.) bloom was carried out using cultivar Palam Lohit in the experimental field of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP) during Rabi 2012-13. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design (RBD) with eight treatments replicated thrice. There were eight treatments T₁-Bee Scent @ 1%, T₂-Bee Scent @ 1.25%, T₃-Bee Scent @ 1.50%, T₄-Sugar solution @ 5%, T₅-Sugar solution @ 10%, T₆-Honey solution @ 1%, T₇-Honey solution @ 2% and T₈-Untreated control (crop without any spray). The results revealed that one day before both sprays of bee attractants (first at 5% flowering and second after 10 days of first spray), the number of insect pollinators of each group (bees, syrphids and other pollinators) visiting the onion bloom did not differ significantly among the treatments. A after both sprays, Bee Scent @ 7.5% proved best in attracting higher number of insect pollinators of each group up to third day followed by Bee Scent @ 5%, Bee Scent @ 2.5%, followed by sugar solution @ 10% and honey solution @ 2%. The least number of insect pollinators of each group were recorded in open pollination without spray (untreated control).

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