Stingless bees are highly social insects which populated the tropical earth 65 million years ago longer than honey bees. They are limited to tropics and subtropics lacking venom apparatus and cannot sting. A little is reported so far about the domestication of the Trigona iridipennis Smith as well as the aspects of Meliponiculture in Kerala. Based on this back ground, the objectives of this study were to 1) characterize the various Meliponiculture techniques and management practices 2) the new techniques evolved for Meliponiculture practices and management as well as value addition of stingless bee products.
Hundred and twenty farmers across Kerala engaged in Meliponiculture were interviewed and their Meliponiculture practices were observed and recorded. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed among the farmers to learn their depth of knowledge in stingless bee keeping techniques and to study the current status of Meliponiculture. In earthen bowl and coconut shell methods it is very advantageous to collect honey without causing any disturbance to the brood chamber that is at the bottom. In PVC pipe and coconut shell the colony often desert in summer due to high temperature. Even though the bamboo nodes are good, they are found to degenerate after a few years through the attack of wood borers. Stingless bee rearing is an important activity as it helps pollination and provides honey for various purposes. The bottle neck for Meliponiculture includes availability of colonies to start with, better techniques for colony capture, colony multiplication, honey extraction, processing and marketing.
This study highlights the various drawbacks and flaws of traditional Meliponiculture in Kerala, which could be rectified using improved scientific management practices and tools. If correctly informed disseminated these techniques could be utilized by tribal, woman, old aged people and even children to fetch an extra income and also to serve the high demand of stingless bee honey and help to maintain the rich biodiversity of Kerala.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Table of contents
- Table of figures
- Table of tables
- List of abbreviations
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Review of literature
- Materials and Methods
- Study area
- Study design and data collection
- Statistical analysis
- Results and discussion
- Anthropogenic habitats
- Domesticated habitats
- Types of nests used in Meliponiculture
- Bamboo nodes
- Earthen pot
- Wooden Box
- Earthen bowl
- Coconut shell
- PVC pipe
- Methods of stingless bee colony capturing
- Hives that can be dismantled
- Tree hollows
- Mud / stone wall
- Hives that “cannot be dismantled”
- Earthen pots
- Trap nest preference
- Trapping the colony using plastic bottle
- Method of colony division
- Use of conventional nests
- Specially designed PVC pipe nest
- Earthen bowl
- Coconut shell
- Honey extraction
- Pest and disease management
- Honey storage and use
- Innovations in Meliponiculture
- Innovative techniques and management practices in Meliponiculture
- Value addition of stingless bee products
- The potential of Meliponiculture for economic development and environmental conservation
- Traditional knowledge and practices in Meliponiculture
- Scientific improvements to traditional Meliponiculture methods
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research study aims to characterize and assess various Meliponiculture techniques and management practices, explore novel approaches to meliponiculture, and examine the value addition of stingless bee products in Kerala, India. The study investigates the traditional knowledge and practices of meliponiculture, analyzes their efficacy, and suggests improvements based on scientific principles. The study also explores the potential of Meliponiculture for economic development and environmental conservation in Kerala.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter sets the context for the study by discussing the history and significance of Meliponiculture, highlighting its role in pollination and its potential for economic benefits. The chapter also provides a review of the literature on stingless bees, their biology, and the practice of Meliponiculture.
The chapter on Materials and Methods describes the study area, the research design, and the data collection methods used. It details the selection of farmers and stingless bee colonies involved in the study, the questionnaire used for data collection, and the statistical analysis employed to analyze the data.
The chapter on Results and Discussion presents the findings of the study, focusing on the various types of nests used in Meliponiculture, the techniques for capturing stingless bee colonies, the methods of honey extraction, and the management of pests and diseases. The chapter examines the effectiveness of traditional practices and explores potential improvements based on scientific principles.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The study utilizes a range of keywords including Trigona iridipennis Smith, Meliponiculture, anthropogenic habitats, eduction techniques, honey extraction, pest and disease management, value addition, and sustainable meliponiculture to encapsulate the core focus areas and concepts explored in the research.
- Citar trabajo
- Prem Jose Vazhacharickal (Autor), Sajan Jose K (Autor), 2016, Novel and innovative techniques in Meliponiculture in Kerala. The current status of knowledge, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/351143
