Abstract
This study evaluated the combined effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) pollination and foliar applications of natural biostimulant extracts on onion (Allium cepa L.) seed yield and quality in New Valley Governorate, Egypt, during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Field experiments employed a randomized complete block design, testing extracts from molasses, licorice, wormwood (Artemisia), and old beeswax combs, alongside water spray, pollinator exclusion (tulle bagged umbels), and an untreated control. Managed Carniolan honey bee colonies facilitated pollination. Honey bee foraging activity displayed significant diurnal variation, peaking between 11:00 and 13:00, with intensity increasing seasonally from March to May, and was positively and negatively correlated with temperature and humidity, respectively. Old beeswax comb extract proved most effective, significantly enhancing bee visitation, yielding the highest seed production (163.8–172.2 kg/ha., representing an over 100% increase compared to the control), the lowest sterility (4.6–6.4%), and the highest germination (94.5–96.3%). Molasses and licorice extracts also markedly improved yield (28–38% increase) and fertilization rates (up to 84.5%). Pollinator exclusion drastically reduced yield and quality, underscoring bees' essential role. Integrating managed honey bee pollination with the application of old beeswax comb extract offers a sustainable strategy to substantially improve onion seed quantity and quality in arid agroecosystems.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Honey bee foraging activity on onion varied significantly by time of day and peaked from 11:00 to 13:00.
- Taxon
- onion
Allium cepae1 - Interactor
- Honey bee
_Apis_mellifera_(female)_-_on_viburnum_tinus_flowers.jpg?width=60)
Apis melliferae0pollinator - Outcome
- Honey bee foraging activitye0
- Value
- 11:00 and 13:00e0
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“Honey bee foraging activity displayed significant diurnal variation, peaking between 11:00 and 13:00”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Honey bee foraging activity on onion increased seasonally from March to May.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Interactor
- Honey beeApis melliferae1pollinator
- Outcome
- Honey bee foraging activitye1
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Qualifier
- March to Maye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intensity increasing seasonally from March to May”
e1“Honey bee foraging activity”
e2“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Honey bee foraging on onion was positively correlated with temperature.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Outcome
- Honey bee foraging activitye1
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Qualifier
- temperaturee0
Not reportedCompoundSetting
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“positively and negatively correlated with temperature and humidity, respectively”
e1“Honey bee foraging activity”
e2“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Honey bee foraging on onion was negatively correlated with humidity.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Interactor
- Honey beeApis melliferae1pollinator
- Outcome
- Honey bee foraging activitye1
- Direction
- negativelye0
- Qualifier
- humiditye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“positively and negatively correlated with temperature and humidity, respectively”
e1“Honey bee foraging activity”
e2“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Old beeswax comb extract significantly enhanced bee visitation to onion.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- Old beeswax comb extracte0
- Interactor
- beeApis melliferae0pollinator
- Outcome
- bee visitatione0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Old beeswax comb extract proved most effective, significantly enhancing bee visitation”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Old beeswax comb extract gave the highest onion seed production, 163.8–172.2 kg/ha., over 100% above control.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- Old beeswax comb extracte0
- Outcome
- seed productione0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 163.8–172.2 kg/ha.e0
- Qualifier
- over 100% increasee0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Old beeswax comb extract proved most effective, significantly enhancing bee visitation, yielding the highest seed production (163.8–172.2 kg/ha., representing an over 100% increase compared to the control)”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Old beeswax comb extract produced the lowest onion sterility, 4.6–6.4%.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- Old beeswax comb extracte1
- Outcome
- sterilitye0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Value
- 4.6–6.4%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the lowest sterility (4.6–6.4%)”
e1“Old beeswax comb extract”
e2“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Old beeswax comb extract produced the highest onion germination, 94.5–96.3%.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- Old beeswax comb extracte1
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 94.5–96.3%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the highest germination (94.5–96.3%)”
e1“Old beeswax comb extract”
e2“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Molasses extract increased onion seed yield by 28–38%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Molasses and licorice extracts also markedly improved yield (28–38% increase)”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Licorice extract increased onion seed yield by 28–38%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Molasses and licorice extracts also markedly improved yield (28–38% increase)”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Molasses extract improved onion fertilization rates, reaching up to 84.5%.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- Molassese0
- Outcome
- fertilization ratese0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- up to 84.5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Molasses and licorice extracts also markedly improved yield (28–38% increase) and fertilization rates (up to 84.5%)”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Licorice extract improved onion fertilization rates, reaching up to 84.5%.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- licoricee0
- Outcome
- fertilization ratese0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- up to 84.5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Molasses and licorice extracts also markedly improved yield (28–38% increase) and fertilization rates (up to 84.5%)”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Pollinator exclusion drastically reduced onion seed yield and quality.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- Pollinator exclusione0
- Outcome
- yield and qualitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pollinator exclusion drastically reduced yield and quality”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend managed honey bee pollination with old beeswax comb extract to improve onion seed quantity and quality.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- managed honey bee pollination with the application of old beeswax comb extracte0
- Interactor
- honey beeApis melliferae0pollinator
- Outcome
- onion seed quantity and qualitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Integrating managed honey bee pollination with the application of old beeswax comb extract offers a sustainable strategy to substantially improve onion seed quantity and quality”
e1“onion (Allium cepa L.)”
The same questions in other papers
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- positive
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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.