Abstract:
The study was conducted in Western-Gojjam with the objectives of evaluating the potential
contribution of bee forage development during dearth periods in improving colony productivity
in North Mecha district, West Gojjam Zone. Youth beekeeping cooperative apiary sites were
selected that were far apart at least 3-5 km. The study sites had and did not have irrigated lands.
However, the two experimental sites with apiaries have similar plant types and be free of
agrochemicals. The irrigation-free youth cooperative beekeeper served as a control for
comparison with the irrigation-enabled locations. The irrigable prepared ground was used to
identify, select, and plant annual bee feed species. Using a RCBD experimental design, around 5
bee foraging plants were planted in irrigable portions of the research locations. Medicago sativa
(Alfalfa), Corriandrum sativium (Dinblal), Brassica spp (Gomenzer), Guizotia abyssinica (Nug),
and Ocimumbasilicum (besobila) were among the annual bee forage plants sown. During the
flowering season of the planted forages, eight honeybee colonies for each experimental site (with
irrigation and without irrigation) were created, totaling 16 framed hive bee colonies. The
experimental locations with similar colony performance and colony numbers were chosen.
Colony management strategies, other than additional feeding, were used for both irrigable and
non-irrigable honeybee colonies. The experimental colonies provided quantitative data which
was input, sorted, and structured using Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS v23). ANOVA with Duncan's mean separation test was used to perform
significant tests for comparative means between the irrigable and non-irrigable areas. Guizotia
abyssinica had a longer duration of time than other plant species, lasting more than three
months. When compared to other species, Medicago sativa (Alfalfa) took the longest (82 days) to
establish flowers and stayed in bloom for 58 days. Brassica carinata, on the other hand, took 67
days to blossom and lasted 47 days. The plants Medicago sativa and Ocimum basillicum
blossom for the same amount of time. Corriandrum is the crop with the longest mean days for
germination (12) when compared to other species. Before experiment, honey yield varies
depending on season of the year, with active season yields of 11.78±6.09 and dry season yields
of 4.02±3.81 k g. The overall mean honey output before experiment in two of the experimental
locations was 11.31±6.77 kg and 4.48±3.59 kg in the irrigated and non-irrigation sites,
respectively. After experiment, honeybee colonies in the irrigation location produced more honey
(14.27±4.5) than honeybee colonies in the non-irrigation site (5.14±3.92). As a result, utilizing
dry season bee forage irrigation tactics, beekeeping locations similar to our research region can
harvest promising honey yields.