engleski

Preliminary research on nectar secretion in two Citrus unshiu cultivars: honey production potentials

Honey production is a complex biological process that unites synergistic activity of plants and honey bees which starts with nectar foraging. Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) in Neretva Valley (Croatia) represents one of the northernmost Citrus honeybee forage in the world. A preliminary study on nectar secretion dynamics was carried out on two C.unshiu cultivars, Kawano Wase and Zorica, in the blooming period. The amounts of nectar and sugar concentrations per flower were recorded in the bud and fully open flowers three times a day (9:00/13:00/17:00). The results revealed statistically significant differences in the average amount of nectar/flower between studied cultivars (F=108.02, p <0.0001). The average amount of nectar in Kawano Wase was 21.73 µL/flower in the bud stage and 22.47 µL/flower in open flowers, while Zorica cultivar showed lower values in both stages: an average of 14.31 µL/flower and 18.50 µL/flower. The results on the average concentration of sugar/flower also reflected significant variations (F=85.70, p<0.0001) ; the average sugar concentration determined in Kawano Wase bud stage and open flowers was 4.50 mg/flower and 5.86 mg/flower, respectively, while results observed in Zorica revealed significantly lower sugar concentrations (2.64 mg/flower and 3.52 mg/flower). Monitoring of nectar amounts and sugar concentration over the course of the day revealed the highest average amount of nectar and sugar concentration in open Kawano Wase flowers at 9:00 and in Zorica at 13:00. The results indicate great potential of both cultivars for honey production. However, Kawano Wase cultivar exhibited better results in both qualitative and quantitative parameters.

Citrus unshiu ; Kawano Wase and Zorica cultivar ; nectar secretion ; sugar concentration

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