04 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Assessing of pollinator’s density in mustard and country bean crops and their contribution to yield
Abstract : The assessing of population density of insect pollinators and their impact on crop yield of mustard and country bean were studied in the respective crop fields near Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University campus, Dinajpur, Bangladesh from November 2019 to August 2020. Two treatments: open-pollinated and net-pollinated plots were established in each plot of fields. Insect diversity was observed from 8.00am to 16.00pm with the interval of 2 hours for three consecutive weeks. The experiment was conducted from the initiation of flowering until approximate 95% of the flower faded to find the diversity of insect pollinators. Altogether 8 species of pollinator insects belonging to 3 orders and 6 families in both mustard and country bean flowers were recorded. The most important insect pollinator was recorded as Apis cerana (57.47%) in mustard while Apis dorsata (47.38%) in country bean. The peak foraging activities of majority of the insects were observed from 10.00am to 12.00am in mustard but from 8.00am to 10.00am in country bean. Significant differences were observed on reproductive parameters of mustard and country bean on open pollinated crop over net treatments. The number of pods per plant, seeds per pod, seeds per plant, seed weight per plant and increased yield 37.16, 66.69, 139.61 and 213.02%, respectively in mustard in open pollinated crop over net treatments. Number of pods per inflorescence, number of seeds per inflorescence, seed weight per pod, pod weight per inflorescence, seed weight per inflorescence and increased yield 72.03, 25.0, 122.83, 179.25 and 246.42%, respectively, in country bean.