Abstract
A two-year field experiment (2023-24 and 2024-25) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of indigenous bee attractants-such as coconut water, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice and dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) extract on the foraging activity of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and the stingless bee (Tetragonula iridipennis) in onion (Allium cepa L.). Attractants were applied at critical flowering stages and bee visitation rates were recorded at different intervals after application. Both pomegranate juice and dates extract at 10 % concentration significantly increased visitation rates of A. mellifera and T. iridipennis compared to coconut water, with peak activity occurring on the 3rd and 5th days following the second spray. The results revealed that fruit-based attractants are more effective in enhancing mean bee visitation rates, improving foraging consistency and producing statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Enhanced pollinator activity was associated with improved pollination efficiency, supporting the likelihood of yield gains. The findings highlight the feasibility of incorporating locally available, eco-friendly attractants into onion seed production systems to sustainably increase pollinator-mediated productivity. Adoption of such natural attractants could serve as a low-cost, eco-friendly strategy to address pollination gaps and enhance seed yield in short-day onion cultivars.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
pomegranate juice at 10% increased A. mellifera visitation versus coconut water.
- Taxon
- onion
Allium cepat0 - Treatment
- pomegranate juicee0
- Interactor
- A. mellifera
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=60)
Apis melliferae0pollinator - Outcome
- visitation ratese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 10 % concentratione0
- Comparator
- coconut watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Both pomegranate juice and dates extract at 10 % concentration significantly increased visitation rates of A. mellifera and T. iridipennis compared to coconut water”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
pomegranate juice at 10% increased T. iridipennis visitation versus coconut water.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Treatment
- pomegranate juicee0
- Interactor
- T. iridipennis
Tetragonula iridipennise0pollinator - Outcome
- visitation ratese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 10 % concentratione0
- Comparator
- coconut watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both pomegranate juice and dates extract at 10 % concentration significantly increased visitation rates of A. mellifera and T. iridipennis compared to coconut water”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
dates extract at 10% increased A. mellifera visitation versus coconut water.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Treatment
- dates extracte0
- Interactor
- A. melliferaApis melliferae0pollinator
- Outcome
- visitation ratese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 10 % concentratione0
- Comparator
- coconut watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both pomegranate juice and dates extract at 10 % concentration significantly increased visitation rates of A. mellifera and T. iridipennis compared to coconut water”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
dates extract at 10% increased T. iridipennis visitation versus coconut water.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Treatment
- dates extracte0
- Interactor
- T. iridipennisTetragonula iridipennise0pollinator
- Outcome
- visitation ratese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- 10 % concentratione0
- Comparator
- coconut watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both pomegranate juice and dates extract at 10 % concentration significantly increased visitation rates of A. mellifera and T. iridipennis compared to coconut water”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Bee activity peaked on the third and fifth days following the second spray.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Outcome
- peak activitye0
- Direction
- peake0
- Qualifier
- 3rd and 5th days following the second spraye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“peak activity occurring on the 3rd and 5th days following the second spray”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit-based attractants improved mean bee visitation and foraging consistency.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Treatment
- fruit-based attractantse0
- Outcome
- mean bee visitation rates, improving foraging consistencye0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
- Value
- p < 0.05e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fruit-based attractants are more effective in enhancing mean bee visitation rates, improving foraging consistency and producing statistically significant differences (p < 0.05)”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Enhanced pollinator activity was associated with improved pollination efficiency.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepat0
- Organ / stage
- pollinatione0
- Outcome
- pollination efficiencye0
- Direction
- improvede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Enhanced pollinator activity was associated with improved pollination efficiency”
t0“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose locally available attractants for onion seed production to improve pollinator-mediated productivity.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae0
- Treatment
- locally available, eco-friendly attractantse0
- Outcome
- increase pollinator-mediated productivitye0
- Direction
- increasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“incorporating locally available, eco-friendly attractants into onion seed production systems to sustainably increase pollinator-mediated productivity”
The same questions in other papers
botanical · Apis mellifera · Allium cepa (onion)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.