GIS Approach for Determining the Optimum Spatiotemporal Plan for Beekeeping and Honey Production in Hot-Arid Subtropical Ecosystems.

Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) technology have seldom been used in apiculture. We applied these tools to map the optimum honey bee colony carrying capacity and estimate honey production during the honey flow of 'Talh' trees (Acacia gerrardii Benth. [Fabaceae: Mimosoideae]) in the Rawdat-Khuraim oasis, central Saudi Arabia . A SPOT 5 panchromatic image (2.5-m resolution) was used to delineate the distribution of Talh trees. ArcGIS was used in image processing and data management, analysis, and visualization. The outputs were maps of Talh distribution, an optimum spatiotemporal beekeeping plan, and predicted potential honey yield. Each Talh tree was predicted to produce a theoretical maximum of 8.5-kg Talh honey per season. Under the current nonoptimum distribution of apiaries, Rawdat-Khuraim produces 4,876-kg honey per season. Optimally, it should produce 9,619-kg honey per season from 1,278 colonies distributed in 12 beekeeping sites. This study provides a technical approach for the use of RS and GIS in describing, planning, and managing honey flows and predicting honey harvest through a spatiotemporal workflow.

Nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potentials of some major honey plants in Saudi Arabia.

The contribution of a bee plant species to honey production depends on the plant's nectar secretion quality and quantity, which is mainly governed by biotic and abiotic factors. The aim of the current study, was to investigate the nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potential of 14 major bee plant species of the target area. We examined the quantity and dynamics of nectar sugar per flower five times a day using a nectar sugar washing technique and direct measuring of nectar with calibrated capillary tubes. The average nectar sugar amount of the species varied from 0.41 mg/flower to 7.7 mg/flower (P < 0.0001). The honey sugar per flower was used to extrapolate the honey production potential per plant and per hectare of land. Accordingly the honey production potential of the species observed to vary from 14 kg/hectare in Otostegia fruticosa to 829 kg/hectare in Ziziphus spina-christi. The nectar secretion dynamics of the species generally showed an increasing trend early in the morning, peaking toward midday, followed by a decline but different species observed to have different peak nectar secretion times. Generally, the tree species secreted more nectar sugar/flower than the herbs. The nectar secretion amount of the species was positively correlated with the ambient temperature, indicating the adaptation of the species to hot climatic conditions. However, different species were observed to have a different optimum temperature for peak nectar secretion. Despite the limited rainfall and high temperature of the area, many plants were found to have good potential for honey production. The monetary value of honey per hectare of the studied honeybee plant species can be of equal or greater than the per-hectare monetary value of some cultivated crops that require numerous inputs. In addition, the information generated is believed to be useful in apiary site selection and to estimate the honey bee colony carrying capacity of an area.