World Bee Day: Climate change may be causing an apple crisis in Himachal and Kashmir this year; here’s how

World Bee Day: Climate change may be causing an apple crisis in Himachal and Kashmir this year; here’s how

Subject :Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Context: Climate change is causing bees, among nature’s primary pollinators, to die in Himachal Pradesh and the Kashmir Valley

Concept:

• Almost 100 per cent of apple growers in Kashmir use bees for pollination.
• A study by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University shows that pollination from bees increased apple production by 44 per cent.
• Two species are used for large and commercial pollination in India. They are Apis mellifera or the Italian bee and the Apiscerana indica or the Indian bee. Of these, Apis mellifera is mostly used as it is much larger than Apiscerana.
• Cerana usually flies less than a kilometre while the Italian bee flies up to six kilometers. Cerana flies at temperatures between 16 and 21 degrees Celsius and low light, while mellifera flies at temperatures between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius.
• mellifera is more agile than native bees. It reaches 25 to 30 flowers in a minute. Because of this, this bee also does the pollination process faster.
• Apiscerena goes from one flower to another in three to four seconds and can pollinate only 20 flowers in a minute.
• Mellifera bees were first brought to India in 1962 and reared in Nagrota, Himachal Pradesh. Since then, they have been used to promote horticulture in the state.
• Italian bees have proved to be very helpful in fruit pollination, the increase in its numbers are also result in gradual decline in the number of native bees

Reasons for the decrease in the number of naturally occurring insects:

• Clearing of forests for farming and horticulture
• decrease in the habitat and plants which supply food to these insects
• the indiscriminate use of pesticides
• change in weather

What is Pollinator?

• A pollinator is anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma).
• The movement of pollen must occur for the the plant to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds, and young plants.
• Some pollinators, including many bee species, intentionally collect pollen. Others, such as many butterflies, birds and bats move pollen accidentally.

Additional Info:

Apple:

• Apple (Malus pumila) is commercially the most important temperate fruit and is fourth among the most widely produced fruits in the world after banana, orange and grape.
• China is the largest apple producing country in the world.
• Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago
• It is mostly grown in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland
• Apple can be grown at altitudes 1,500-2,700 m. above m.s.l
• The temperature during the growing season is around 21-240 C. For optimum growth and fruiting, apple trees need 100-125 cm. of annual rainfall, evenly distributed during the growing season
• Loamy soils, rich in organic matter with pH 5.5 to 6.5 and having proper drainage and aeration are suitable for cultivation.
• Dry temperate areas are suitable for apple cultivation.
• India’s share in the total world apple production is merely 2.05 per cent.  Only around 1.6% of the country’s production gets exported.

World Bee Day

• It is celebrated on May 20. On this day Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was born in 1734.
• The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem
• The UN Member States approved Slovenia’s proposal to proclaim 20 May as World Bee Day in December 2017