Predominant Flora and Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Production in Northern Manabí-Ecuador

Abstract

Objective: to define the predominant flora, production and quality of bee honey in three localities in the northern zone of Manabí.

Methods: observations were made in three bee hives per zone, and in relation to the time and flowering of crops, honey production was obtained in the three places with time proximity. After harvesting, a record was kept of the quantity and the quality of the honey was determined. An ANOVA was applied to the values of quantity of honey produced per zone.

Results: showed that there were no significant differences between zones. To determine quality, physicochemicaland microbiological tests were carried out. In addition, they showed normality in the 3 zones; and an organoleptic acceptability test, organized by means of a Likert scale and the Chi² analysis showed that there were no differences in the organoleptic characteristics between the zones, with high acceptance of the honey.

Conclusion: in the study zones there is a predominance of vegetation with melliferous properties such as common flora, lemon and pitahaya crops, which maintain similar volumes of production and quality of honey bee honey. With the common flora, due to its continuous flowering, there is a tendency (P<0.10) to slightly increase production.