Levantamento da flora apícola e sua implicação na apicultura no estado de Pernambuco

Abstract

The objective of this study was to study beekeeping in the municipalities of Garanhuns, Serra Talhada and Manari in Pernambuco, which present different meteorological factors, in order to understand the seasonality of the bee flora and to discuss the relationship between the local bee flora and the factors (mm), relative air humidity (%), air temperature (°C) and dew point temperature (° C) and the construction of a catalog as a guide for beekeepers in the region. The present study was developed from the apiaries of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, the Academic University of Garanhuns-UAG, Academic Unit of Serra Talhada-UAST and a beekeeper of the Association of Meliponicultores and Beekeepers of the Municipality of Manari-AMAM, during the months from March 2018 to November 2018. A survey of the bee flora was carried out with monthly observations in the three municipalities, in the morning and afternoon periods. In the field, the foraging behavior of the Apis mellifera bees was recorded and identified which floral resources the bees collected (nectar and / or pollen), as well as photographic records. After the production and off-season periods, we attempted to propose different management practices. Fertile botanical materials were collected from the apiary as a central point in the four directions (north, south, east, west), in transects of about 1,500m in length around each apiary. The material was herborized and deposited in the Semiarid Herbarium of Brazil (HESBRA) of UFRPE / UAST. Daily data of accumulated precipitation, relative humidity, air temperature and dew point were obtained from the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET). 183 species of Angiosperms belonging to 50 botanical families visited by Apis mellifera bees were identified in the three localities. The Leguminosae family was the most predominant corresponding to 21%, followed by the families Asteraceae and Malvaceae with 9%. The habit of the 183 species, it was observed that 49% are herbaceous, 20% are shrubs, 18% arboreal and 13% present climbing habit. In the municipalities of Garanhuns and Serra Talhada there was a high correlation (P <0.10) of 56% and 80% relative humidity of flowering air, respectively. However, for Manari there was a correlation between accumulated precipitation (P <0.01) and 89%. The beekeeping flora of the municipality of Serra Talhada showed a greater similarity with the flora of the municipality of Manari approximately 47%. Already with Garanhuns was 24%. On the other hand, Manari presented a similarity with Garanhuns of 33%, it is recommended to take advantage of the maximum of the flowers in the municipality of Manari from March to April, and then moved to the municipality of Serra Talhada, where the peak of flowering happens from April to May, remaining there until the end of July. In the second half of August, there may already be the possibility of the colonies being transferred to Garanhuns by taking advantage of the flowering peak at the end of August, September and November, and then returning to Serra Talhada, closing a Pernambuco route for honey production. In turn, management practices must be carried out according to the food flow, maintenance and production management tend to improve the productive performance and, consequently, greater productivity in the apiaries. The studied regions have a large number of apicultural species, with nectariferous and poliniferous resources for the bees throughout the year. The meteorological factors influence the flowering and consequently the production of honey or pollen of Africanized bees, allowing beekeepers optimizing good production rates, thus reducing costs with logistics to other states of the country. There is a need to manage the colonies to make the most of the potential of the studied regions.