UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2021 at the Experimental Farm, PC Unit Sesame & Niger, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The present investigation evaluated the influence of different sowing dates on the abundance and foraging activity of honey bees and their relationship with the yield and productivity of niger. Six sowing dates were evaluated as treatments: 15 July (T1), 25 July (T2), 5 August (T3), 15 August (T4), 25 August (T5) and 5 September (T6). Observations on bee abundance revealed considerable variation among flowering stages and sowing dates. Among the pollinators, Apis florea exhibited comparatively greater abundance, with an overall mean population of 2.40 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹, whereas Apis mellifera recorded a mean population of 0.64 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹. The highest population of A. florea (4.58 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹) was recorded in the 15 August sowing at 17 days after flowering, while A. mellifera attained its maximum population of 2.58 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹ under the same sowing treatment at 45 days after flowering. The other indigenous honey bees, A. cerana indica and A. dorsata, also exhibited marked temporal variation, with mean populations of 1.05 and 7.17 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹, respectively. The maximum population of A. dorsata was recorded during the peak flowering period, indicating its substantial contribution to floral resource exploitation and potential pollination activity. Sowing date significantly influenced crop productivity and yield attributes. The highest number of capitula plant⁻¹ (129.45), seeds capitulum⁻¹ (51.68), seed yield (628 kg ha⁻¹) and 1000-seed weight (4.53 g) were recorded with the 15 July sowing, whereas the lowest values were observed with the 5 September sowing. The findings demonstrate that an appropriate sowing time favourably synchronises flowering with pollinator activity under suitable environmental conditions, thereby enhancing the reproductive efficiency and seed productivity of niger. The results highlight the importance of integrating optimum sowing time with pollinator-friendly crop management for the sustainable improvement of niger productivity.