title: New approach for determination of an optimum honeybee colony's carrying capacity based on productivity and nectar secretion potential of bee forage species.
abstract: The present study was carried out to determine an optimum honeybee colony's carrying capacity of selected valleys dominated by Ziziphus spina-christi and Acacia tortilis in the Al-Baha region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted based on the assessment of the number of colonies kept, their productivities and the existing productive bee forage resources in the target valleys with its economic implication. In the existing beekeeping practice, the average number of managed honeybee colonies introduced per square kilometer was 530 and 317 during the flowering period of Z. spina-christi and A. tortilis, respectively. Furthermore, the overall ratios of productive bee forage plants to the number of honeybee colonies introduced were 0.55 and 11.12 to Ziziphus trees and A. tortilis shrubs respectively. In the existing situation the average honey production potential of 5.21 and 0.34 kg was recorded per Ziziphus and A. tortilis plants per flowering season, respectively. The present study, revealed that the number of honeybee colonies introduced in relation to the existing bee forage potential was extremely overcrowding which is beyond the carrying capacity of bee forage resources in selected valleys and it has been observed to affect the productivities and subsequent profitability of beekeeping. The study infers that, by keeping the optimum honeybee colony's carrying capacity of valleys (88 traditional hives/km(2) or 54 Langstroth hives/km(2) in Ziziphus field and 72 traditional hives/km(2) or 44 Langstroth hives/km(2) in A. tortilis field), profitability of beekeeping can be boosted up to 130.39% and 207.98% during Z. spina-christi and A. tortilis, flowering seasons, respectively.
authors: Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Baqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Ahmed
authors: A
authors: Al-Ghamdi
authors: Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Baqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Nuru
authors: N
authors: Adgaba
authors: Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Baqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Awraris
authors: A
authors: Getachew
authors: Chair of Engineer Abdullah Ahmad Baqshan for Bee Research, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Yilma
authors: Y
authors: Tadesse
keywords: Acacia tortilis; Bee forage; Carrying capacity; Honeybee colonies; Profitability; Ziziphus spina-christi