>Does anyone have info on the effects of bees on a soybean crop. Are there
>any reports on the possible increase in yields. Are there certian soybean
>plants that the bee's like and others that is does not.
Once again, turning to McGregor's 1976 crop pollination bible, from the
section on soybeans:
"The soybean is considered to be self-fertile and not benefited by insect
pollination...Although there is no experimental evidence to support them,
some soybean growers in Arkansas have indicated that bees increase
production of beans, and they encourage the presence of apiaries near their
fields. Tests with plants caged to exclude bees have shown no decrease in
production over exposed plots"
"Piper and Morse (1923) noted that soybean flowers were 'much visited by
bees'. They also noted that three of their varieties, when in full flower
at Jackson, Tenn., were very fragrant - the odor suggesting that of lilacs.
Although they gave no indication that these varieties were more attractive
to bees than other varieties, the information indicates that cultivars
might be selected with aroma or attractiveness that when incorporated in a
hybrid seed program might efficiently attract pollinating insects. because
of the potential value of hybrid soybeans, the breeders might watch for
selections that show attractiveness to bees"
"No studies have been made on the value of concentrating the gregarious
types of wild bees on soybeans, although such insects might prove to be
more efficient than honey bees"
The bottom line:
"There are no recommendations for the use of bees in pollination of
soybeans. The subject is reviewed, however, because of the interest in
hybrid soybeans and the possibility of using pollinating insects in hybrid
soybean production".
Hope this helps,
Doug Yanega Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820 USA phone (217) 244-6817, fax (217) 333-4949
affiliate, Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Entomology
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu:80/~dyanega/my_home.html
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
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