Assessment of Insect Pollinators of Sunflower (helianthus Annuus) in the University of Abuja Teaching and Research Farm

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the pollination efficiency of honeybees (Apis mellifera) on three sunflower (Helianthus annuus) varieties—SAMSUN 1, SAMSUN 2, and SAMSUN 3 at the University of Abuja Teaching and Research Farm. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replicates and 9 blocks were used for this experiment. The total plot area was 42.5 m2 with a spacing of 0.75 m2 between the replicates and 1 m walking alley between the blocks which were 3.75x 9.25 m2 in size. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS Version 29. Treatment and varietal mean were separated with Tukey’s HSD at P≤ 0.05. The research covered honeybee visitation frequency, identifies other insect pollinators and assesses the effect of bloom stages on pollinator activity. Results indicated that honeybees are the dominant pollinators, significantly outperformed other pollinators. The highest honeybee activity occurred during full bloom and mid-day hours, showing a substantial correlation with increased nectar availability. No significant differences were observed in honeybee visits among the sunflower varieties or in the seed weight produced. These findings underscore honeybees' important role in sunflower pollination, suggesting strategic placement of honeybee colonies near sunflower fields and promoting beekeeping to maximize crop yield and sustainability.