Increase in Soybean (Glycine max) Production Using Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

Abstract

In Uruguay, the sustained increase of soybean (Glycine max) crop in recent years has harmed the bee industry because it displaced other crops such as forage legumes. Although soybean is a self-pollinating species, some studies indicate that seed production can be increased by insect pollinators, especially honey bees (Apis mellifera). The aim of this study was to determine whether honey bees and other insects increase seed production in conventional soybean. To do it, an apiary of 10 hives was set in a plot of 120 ha of soybean. We recorded the presence of bees and other insects at different distances from the apiary and seed production was evaluated at 200 and 500 m. In the hives, we determined the botanical origin of nectar and pollen collected by bees. The principal results were: 1) bees were not distributed in the crop following a gradient with distance from the apiary. 2) bees collected nectar and pollen from flowers of soybean, although the plant provides more nectar than pollen. 3) seed production increased significantly by 25% at 500 m of the apiary, but not at 200 m. This difference could be due to different concentrations of nitrogen and potassium in the soil. This study shows that soybean production can be increased in the presence of honeybees opening a perspective for the complementation of soybean production and beekeeping.