Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania
Abstract Background Poor agricultural practices have drastically threatened insect pollinators’ biodiversity. Little is known in Tanzania about how different agricultural practices affect pollinators’ foraging behavior. This study investigated the effects of the agroecological zone, season, cucurbit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02202-9 |
| _version_ | 1797350221875773440 |
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| author | Elvillah William Rweyemamu Maulid Walad Mwatawala George Muhamba Tryphone Marc De Meyer Sija Kabota Patroba Masatu Bwire |
| author_facet | Elvillah William Rweyemamu Maulid Walad Mwatawala George Muhamba Tryphone Marc De Meyer Sija Kabota Patroba Masatu Bwire |
| author_sort | Elvillah William Rweyemamu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Poor agricultural practices have drastically threatened insect pollinators’ biodiversity. Little is known in Tanzania about how different agricultural practices affect pollinators’ foraging behavior. This study investigated the effects of the agroecological zone, season, cucurbit species and management practices on visitation frequency, visitation rate and time spent on cucurbit flowers by five pollinator species viz. Apis mellifera, Eristalinus megacephalus, Mesembrius caffer, Paragus borbonicus and Toxomerus floralis. The experiment was designed as a 5 × 3 × 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. GAMOUR-Agroecology was tested against conventional practices and untreated control. Results This study revealed significant effects of agroecological zone × season × cucurbit species × management practice on pollinators’ visitation frequency (p = 0.007) and time spent on flowers (p = 0.005). Also, agroecological zone × season × cucurbit species × pollinator species significantly (p < 0.0001) affected pollinators’ visitation frequency. Agroecological zones × season × cucurbit species × cucurbits management practices × pollinators significantly (p = 0.001) affected pollinators’ visitation rate. Apis mellifera was the most frequent visitor in Cucurbita moschata plots treated with GAMOUR- Agroecology in the plateau zone, also, visited higher number of Cucumis sativus plots under GAMOUR-Agroecology practices in the mountainous zone during the October–November season. Furthermore, it has been found that pollinators spent much in cucurbit flowers on plots with GAMOUR-Agroecology practices and control. Conclusions Pollinators’ foraging behavior were enhanced by GAMOUR-Agroecology practices. Therefore, this study recommended that cucurbit growers should consider management practices that positively influence pollinator foraging activities for sustainable cucurbit production. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:41:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a9226f12077b404c946d2e118f6b074a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2730-7182 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:41:34Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9226f12077b404c946d2e118f6b074a2024-01-21T12:07:29ZengBMCBMC Ecology and Evolution2730-71822024-01-0124111310.1186/s12862-024-02202-9Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, TanzaniaElvillah William Rweyemamu0Maulid Walad Mwatawala1George Muhamba Tryphone2Marc De Meyer3Sija Kabota4Patroba Masatu Bwire5Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)Royal Museum for Central Africa, Invertebrates Section and JEMUDepartment of Crop Science and Horticulture, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)Abstract Background Poor agricultural practices have drastically threatened insect pollinators’ biodiversity. Little is known in Tanzania about how different agricultural practices affect pollinators’ foraging behavior. This study investigated the effects of the agroecological zone, season, cucurbit species and management practices on visitation frequency, visitation rate and time spent on cucurbit flowers by five pollinator species viz. Apis mellifera, Eristalinus megacephalus, Mesembrius caffer, Paragus borbonicus and Toxomerus floralis. The experiment was designed as a 5 × 3 × 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. GAMOUR-Agroecology was tested against conventional practices and untreated control. Results This study revealed significant effects of agroecological zone × season × cucurbit species × management practice on pollinators’ visitation frequency (p = 0.007) and time spent on flowers (p = 0.005). Also, agroecological zone × season × cucurbit species × pollinator species significantly (p < 0.0001) affected pollinators’ visitation frequency. Agroecological zones × season × cucurbit species × cucurbits management practices × pollinators significantly (p = 0.001) affected pollinators’ visitation rate. Apis mellifera was the most frequent visitor in Cucurbita moschata plots treated with GAMOUR- Agroecology in the plateau zone, also, visited higher number of Cucumis sativus plots under GAMOUR-Agroecology practices in the mountainous zone during the October–November season. Furthermore, it has been found that pollinators spent much in cucurbit flowers on plots with GAMOUR-Agroecology practices and control. Conclusions Pollinators’ foraging behavior were enhanced by GAMOUR-Agroecology practices. Therefore, this study recommended that cucurbit growers should consider management practices that positively influence pollinator foraging activities for sustainable cucurbit production.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02202-9GAMOUR-agroecologyPollinatorsVisitation frequencyVisitation rate |
| spellingShingle | Elvillah William Rweyemamu Maulid Walad Mwatawala George Muhamba Tryphone Marc De Meyer Sija Kabota Patroba Masatu Bwire Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania BMC Ecology and Evolution GAMOUR-agroecology Pollinators Visitation frequency Visitation rate |
| title | Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania |
| title_full | Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania |
| title_short | Impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in Morogoro, Tanzania |
| title_sort | impact of cucurbit crop management techniques on the foraging behavior of honeybees and hoverflies in morogoro tanzania |
| topic | GAMOUR-agroecology Pollinators Visitation frequency Visitation rate |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-024-02202-9 |
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