dc.description.abstract |
A field study was done in 2021 in three districts of West Gojjam Zone, Amhara region,
Ethiopia to determine the effect of honeybee pollination on Citrullus lanatus utilizing
three treatments (honeybee-pollination, open-pollination, and self-pollination). The
experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design using three replications.
Personal observation and a camera were employed in a 1 m
2
area for 5 minutes on 3
sunny days at 4 different times of the day: 08.00-09.00 am, 10.00 am-11.00 am, 02.0003.00
pm, and 04.00-05.00 pm. Following this procedure, richness, abundance, and
diversity of pollinators on open-pollinated treatments were determined. The pollination
effect on watermelon fruit was studied utilizing physicochemical parameters, sensory
attributes, and economic feasibility studies. Excel and SAS software (version 9.0) was
employed to analyze the data. A total of five different types of major pollinators were
observed visiting watermelon flowers, each with a different abundance, richness, and
diversity. The major pollinators were honeybees (73.63 %), mason bees (13.19 %),
butterflies (5.49 %), carpenter bees (4.40 %), and carder bees (3.30 % ). Honeybee was
responsible for about 84.1% of the watermelon yield increment. This study shows, the
majority of the physicochemical attributes were non-significant (p>0.05) between Bahir
Dar and Amarit experimental sites, but both of them were greater than Denbun
experimental site. Honeybee-pollinated plants significantly outperformed open-pollinated
and self-pollinated plants by the most physicochemical parameters, whereas openpollinated
plants significantly exceeded self-pollinated plants in half of the
physicochemical parameters. Besides, the panel of consumers favored open-pollinated
and honeybee-pollinated fruits over self-pollinated fruits. However, due to the highest
acceptable value of the Marginal Rate of Return, open-pollination was the most
economically likely pollination method. As a result, developing a good strategy to keep
watermelon pollinators alive is important, and employing pollination as part of a crop
extension package will be better to improve watermelon production through the most
cost-effective open-pollination approach. Furthermore, it is better to establish a
multidisciplinary consultation forum to highlight the importance of pollinators on
watermelon output. |
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