SOME ASPECTS OF THE ROLE OF THE HONEYBEE IN ONION SEED PRODUCTION IN POLAND

Studies were carried out during the years 1977–1979 at the Horticultural Crop Breeding Stations at Pass and Szymanów near Warszawa. Honey-bees were observed there foraging on large commercial fields of flowering onion plants.

Bee colonies were placed at one margin of the fields as well as cages with no insects inside. The results allow for the following conclusions to be drawn:

1. The presence of honeybees and other pollinating insects is needed for a good setting and high seed yielding. The number and mass of seed obtained from the plants grown in isolator-cages was only a small percent in comparison to the adequate amounts obtained with open pollination.
2. At the first period of flowering and under bad weather conditions, honeybees work on blooming onion more intensively the closer their hives have been situated to the field. When the flowering near honeybee colonies is ended, honeybees move their activity to farther and farther parts of the field.
3. Bee foraging on open pollinated cultivars of onion is satisfied in Poland. Possible need of spraying attractants, like Citral, Geraniol or anise, seems to be necessary only in the case of the presence of some more attractive competitive plants flowering in the neighbourhood of the seed onion field or if there is a low number of bee colonies surrounding it.