Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/24.3.3868
Nectar secretion and honey production potential of Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) cultivars
Saša PRĐUN
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Applied Zoology, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Maja DRAŽIĆ
; Ministry of Agriculture, Ilica 101, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Dragan BUBALO
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Apiculture, Wildlife Management and Applied Zoology, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This is the first reported study aimed at nectar secretion of Satsuma mandarin cultivars from Croatia. The study was conducted in 2014-2016 on four cultivars: Kawano Wase, Okitsu, Chahara and Zorica. Nectar was collected at six measurements per day at two-hour intervals (8:00-18:00) for a total of 12 days. The mean values of nectar quantity per flower were higher in Okitsu (23.41 μL) and Kawano Wase (22.79 μL) cultivars and were not statistically different (P > 0.05) from the other cultivars, while a significant difference (P < 0.05) was found in Chahara (21.60 μL) cultivar compared to Zorica (20.01 μL). Secreted nectar ranged from a minimum of 5.00 μL to a maximum of 75.00 μL among the studied cultivars. When comparing sugar concentration by cultivars, the lowest concentration was found in the cultivar Zorica (18.43%) and differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the others, while the mean values of the studied parameter in the cultivars Okitsu (20.35%), Kawano Wase (20.66%) and Chahara (20.17%) did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). The average sugar content in flowers of all Satsuma mandarin cultivars ranged from 4.13 mg to 4.96 mg. Sugar yield ranged from 240.8 kg/ha to 289.2 kg/ha and honey yield ranged from 301 kg/ha to 361.5 kg/ha. The present study shows that the studied cultivars of Satsuma mandarin are very attractive to honey bees due to the large number of flowers producing a large amount of nectar and that the Neretva Valley is a very good area for the production of this rare unifloral type of honey.
Keywords
Citrus unshiu; nectar secretion; honey yield; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
308157
URI
Publication date:
8.9.2023.
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