Acres of alfalfa archive beesource beekeeping forums. Alfalfa honey aka lucerne honeydiscover the benefits of honey. Honey bees are important pollinators of alfalfa in the southwest and in isolated areas elsewhere. Alfalfa production handbook pdf kansas crop planting guide pdf kansas performance tests with alfalfa varieties. Each ton of alfalfa dry matter harvested removes about 14 pounds of phosphate p2o5 and 58 pounds of potash k2o. Alkali bees in alfalfa seed production seed production. Honeybees increased the yield of pimento in jamaica. Consult texas alfalfa production for guideline on calculating target acreage for your irrigation capacityefficiency et. Field attractiveness of clones to honey bees cor related positively with nectar production, r 0. Alfalfa pollination is somewhat problematic, however, because western honey bees, the most commonly used pollinator, are less than ideal for this purpose. Selecting alfalfa varieties is a 5 to 10year investment. Each year, honey bee selfmarking devices were placed on 112 selected. Relationships between nectar production and honey bee.
The alfalfa can be seeded into a prepared seedbed, or seeded notill into a killed sod. Alfalfa has a relatively high demand for some nutrients compared to other commonly grown crops. Alfalfa blooms throughout the summer and is ranked as the most important honey plant in most of the western states. Department of agronomy kansas state university 2004 throckmorton psc 1712 claflin road manhattan, ks 665060110. The alfalfa seed production research board was established over thirty years ago for the purpose of funding primarily growerdirected research to improve alfalfa seed production practices in california. We identified 40 queenright double broodchamber colonies colonies with a mated, laying queen, each with two boxes containing brood and two additional boxes of comb for honey collection as per industry standards on this crop in each of three hybrid canola seed production fields total n 120 colonies near burdett, ab 4949. Unfortunately modern forage production does not allow for much bloom to form before harvesting. Two honeybee colonies will be placed at one end of each experimental site. Foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera, in alfalfa seed production fields article pdf available in journal of insect science 11144. Connecting the dotsalfalfa and food bee forage honey flowering alfalfa is an excellent source of nectar for honeybees, producing a delicious honey that is light, mild, and versatile. A study was conducted in 2006 and 2007 designed to examine the foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera hymenoptera. Vansell 1941 showed that some alfalfa cultivars yield more honey than others. A honey bee collecting nectar from an apricot flower. It is assumed that 25 acres of alfalfa are established every other year.
Jan 26, 2017 alfalfa seed sprouts and alfalfa honey are exclusively destined for human consumption. Most of the honey produced by the large commercial beekeepers is sold or put under loan to the federal government through the honey price support program. Table 1 gives the average value for all of the constituents analyzed in the survey and also lists the range. Pdf honey contains a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Pollen collection, honey production, and pollination. Ndsu statewide variety trials a centralized place for all ndsu trials. Pdf foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera, in alfalfa. Alfalfa has a long taproot that penetrates more deeply into the soil than crops such as corn or wheat which have more fibrous, shallow roots. Some of the tabular data are included in this handbook.
This great rooting depth gives alfalfa excellent drought tolerance. Shroyer, extension specialist, crop production paul c. Honeybees, leaf cutter bees, and alkali bees are used to pollinate alfalfa for seed production in the united states. The selection of better nectarproducing plants to improve honey production requires a reliable.
Alfalfa late bud to first flower for first cutting, first flower to 110 bloom for second and later cuttings. Farming the agroforest for spe cialty products minneapolis, mn, october 47, 1998 2department of forestry, university of kentucky, lexington, ky 405460073 3 pollination and honey production in the forest and agroforest1 dr. Honey, as it is found in the hive, is a truly remarkable material, elaborated by bees with floral nectar, and less often. The nectar resource in a given area depends on the kinds of flowering plants present and their blooming periods. Your use of this pdf, the bioone complete website, and all posted and.
The most important thing here is to make sure its raw unheated and fresh preferably in the first 6 months after harvesting. Jul 04, 2011 a morsel of info regarding bees working alfalfa. Alfalfa should be seeded at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds of seed per acre for a pure alfalfa stand. Nov 02, 2011 a study was conducted in 2006 and 2007 designed to examine the foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera hymenoptera. The alfalfa plant is a legume, related to beans and peas, and is primarily used as a highprotein feed for livestock. Some projects have immediate application to the grower while others may be more long term, yielding results in the years to come. Alfalfa honey, also known as lucerne honey is a variety of honey made from the nectar and pollen of medicago sativa flowers. Pdf impact of bee species and plant density on alfalfa pollination. Fireweed fireweed honey is light in color and comes from a perennial herb that creates wonderful bee pasture in the northern and pacific states and canada. Foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera, in alfalfa seed. Other major producing states are california, north dakota, and south dakota. Dutch golds alfalfa honey has been produced in the wind river area of wyoming, just outside of riverton.
Because alfalfa is high in protein, optimal use of alfalfa in the ration can reduce purchased supplement expenses. The alkali bee nomia melanderi, one of the sweat bees, is essential for alfalfa production in the. Lucerne or alfalfa medicago sativa presents a different pollination problem. Alfalfa seed production requires the presence of pollinators when the fields of alfalfa are in bloom. Managed hives of honey bees are often placed by commercial beekeepers near fields. Pollen collection, honey production, and pollination services.
Each ton of alfalfa also removes the calcium and magnesium. Many of the health benefits of alfalfa honey are common to all honeys. The influence of nectar production on hawkmoth behavior, selfpollination, and seed. Crops in 2000 summary based on a study of the figures published. The importance and benefits of alfalfa in the 21st century. High potassiumdairy cattle need large quantities of potassium. Sizing alfalfa fields to irrigation rule of thumb in south plains. Honey is often made by bees after they visit alfalfa fields. Alfalfa honey is a nutritious food and a wonderful natural solution to a variety of health problems ranging from skin issues to digestive problems and respiratory infections. Cropping pattern this budget is based on a 350acre farm with 75 acres in production of alfalfa following alfalfa or a grain crop. Apidae and alfalfa leafcutting bees megachile rotundata fab. Pdf in outcrossing crops like alfalfa, various bee species can contribute to pollination and gene flow in seed production fields. One month after seeding, plots will be assessed for alfalfa and clover seedling counts from four onemeter square quadrat randomly placed per plot. Alfalfa honey is a nutritious food and a wonderful natural solution to a variety of health problems ranging from skin issues to digestive problems.
He listed about 90 species of nectar and pollen plants in utah but noted that the main sources of com mercial honey are alfalfa and sweetclover 1949. Sainfoin is highly palatable to sheep and cattle and is preferred over alfalfa. Heres a good story in the capital press on the role of alkali bees in pollinating alfalfa seed fields in the pacific northwest follow link below a different kind of bee. Vansell 1931 listed 150 species of nectar and pollen plants in california, but only six are princi pal sources for commercial honey production. Unlike the honey bee, alkali bees are native to the pacific. Hybrid canola seed production is an important pollination market in canada. Alfalfa seed requires crosspollination in order to produce high yields of high quality seed. In california, honey bees are used almost exclusively. Yield alfalfa hay yield increased almost linearly from 1920, when about 3. Pollination and honey production in the forest and agroforest. Total production of consumer leguminous seeds showed a wide. Loper and waller 1970 showed that when several clonal lines of alfalfa were presented in bouquets to honey bees, the bees consistently showed preference for certain ones. Alfalfa, also known as lucerne or medicago sativa, is a plant that has been grown as feed for livestock for hundreds of years it was long prized for its.
Horwath background alfalfa was introduced to california in the 1850s from chile. The sprouts are quite a generous source of essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamins k, c and folate as well as vitamins b1, b2, b3 and b5, carotenoid antioxidants and chlorophyll. There are more than 300 different types of honey in the united. Alfalfa fields managed for flowering in midwest farming regions have long been a summer home. Resource guide for honey bee forage crops project apis m. It is important to buy quality seed of certified varieties with high germination percentages.
Total production of consumer leguminous seeds showed a. Honey bees apis mellifera are inefficient pollinators of alfalfa produced for seed in the pacific northwest and are therefore not used as a managed pollinator for this crop in washington state. Approximately 200,000 alfalfa seeds are in one pound. Honey potential can be affected by the purpose your local alfalfa has been grown.
Alfalfa produces a large amount of nectar, which is highly attractive to many species of bees, and from which honey bees produce excellent crops of high quality honey. Honey bees, leafcutter bees, and alkali bees are used to pollinate alfalfa for seed production in the united states. Sample costs to establish and produce alfalfa hay under mixed irrigation in the intermountain region of scott valley in siskiyou county are presented in this study. Time of seeding for new alfalfa establishment 2014 waiting period for returning field to alfalfa production 2014. Alfalfa crop production agronomy kansas state university. Which kinds grow in an area depends on soil texture, soil ph, soil drainage, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, extreme minimum winter temperature, and growing. Washington state managed pollinator protection plan for. Megachilidae are concurrently managed to ensure pollination in this highvalue crop. This is the nutrient equivalent of 150 pounds of a 01040 fertilizer. The varieties imported were well adapted to californias climate and alfalfa soon became a major crop, especially on irrigated land 5. As with honey production, there was a significant difference in the amount of pollen collected in the traps among sites, with one site producing more pollen than the other two site 92 x. Honey bees are used almost exclusively to pollinate alfalfa for seed production throughout california. Under favorable conditions, alfalfa roots may penetrate over 20 feet deep. Red clover or crimson clover first flower to 110 bloom.
First cut hay yields are often greater than those for alfalfa but later cuttings commonly yield less than alfalfa baldridge and lohmiller 1990. Added value in addition to producing honey, honey bees produce beeswax and help pollinate agricultural. They are inexpensive and readily available, but they are not the most enthusiastic pollinators of alfalfa. Fewer still would recognize the noneconomic roles that alfalfa plays in maintaining a healthy environment. Pollination and honey production in the forest and agroforest1.
This study is intended as a guide only, and can be used to make production decisions, determine potential returns, prepare budgets, and evaluate production loans. Bluegrass, orchardgrass, boot1 to early head stage for first cut, aftermath cuts tall fescue, or timothy at 4 to 6week intervals. Lamond, extension specialist, soil fertility and management 7 weed management. Longterm sainfoin dry matter yields range from around 20 to 30% less than those of alfalfa. When compared to other forage crops, alfalfa has a very high yield potential and responds very well to subsurface drip irrigation sdi. Properties and benefits of alfalfa honey natureword. The color and flavor of varietal honeys vary depending on production region as well as annual climate and. Foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera, in alfalfa. Amand, assistant professor, alfalfa breeding and genetics curtis thompson, extension specialist, crops and soils, southwest 6 alfalfa fertility ray e. Honey yield, nectar secretion, and pollen production. Alkali bee ken gray photo ive been fascinated with these bees for many years now and i cover them in my seed production course at osu. Proteinprotein is the largest supplemental expense on most dairy farms.
Insect pollinators and foraging behavior of honey bees on alfalfa. Moreover, research shows the species is a source of vitamins d2 and d3 the isolation and identification of vitamin d2 and vitamin d3 from medicago sativa alfalfa plant, archives of biochemistry and biophysics. List of northern american nectar sources for honey bees. Pdf foraging range of honey bees, apis mellifera, in. Alfalfa roots can penetrate the soil more than 15 feet deep. Each site will be monitored for flower production and bee activity as described in objective 1. If it is being grown for seed the plant will put more and more energy into seed production as the summer progresses. In this part of central wyoming, the alfalfa is irrigated, due to the dry conditions, and the plant is allowed to bloom for seed production, which is exactly what the beekeepers want. This effort to document the importance of alfalfa to food production systems and environmental goals. Alfalfa can be cut between 311 times and can last up to 25 years in the field. Washington state managed pollinator protection plan for alfalfa.