Dear Bee-Listers:

I am currently investigating the following, unfortunately awkwardly difficult,
questions:

1. If I have short-rotation coppicing (SRC) willow that is harvested every
2 to 4 years, what is the amount of pollen that male willow plants would
produce during early spring (like grams per flower per day and how many
flowering days can I count on or kg/ha @ c. 20000 stools/ha)?

2. How much of this pollen could be harvested by the bee families?

3. How much would this extra pollen during spring mean for the build-up of
the bee family (like in how much would its size [or rise of number of bees in %]
be enlarged)?

4. What would this better start during spring mean for the summer honey
production?

I especially need information on question 1.
I would especially appreciate guidance to literature, or also IN, references.

The question on the apico-economic value of willow is related to my work on
the internal and external economics (and energy aspects) of a CFE system that
integrates biofuel production in the form of energy-willow, SRC belts amongst
field crops, for more please see the homepage indicated in the footer of this letter.


Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely
Med venlig hilsen

Bernd Kuemmel

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Bernd Kuemmel, stud.lic. (PhD.stud.)
Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL)
Agrovej 10           +  DK-2630 Taastrup
V: (+45) 35 28 35 33  +  F: (+45) 35 28 21 75
http://www.agsci.kvl.dk/~bek/cfehtml.htm