The ecological and biological characteristics of honey plants of the Udmurt Republic

Abstract. The purpose is to analyze honey–bearing resources, biological forms and species diversity of natural, cultural and adventitious honey-bearing flora in the territory of the Udmurt Republic to create a scheme-map of the honey conveyor. Methods. In the study of this issue “Methods of conducting research in beekeeping” (2003), “Plant determinant of Udmurtia” were used. Results. As of January 1, 2023, the area of agricultural land in all land categories amounted to 1838.3 thousand ha, or 43.7 %, non-gricultural land – 2367.8 thousand hectares, or 56.3 % of the total land fund of the Udmurt Republic. The area of coniferous plants has increased by an average of 38 % since 1966, and hardwood by 35 %. The dynamics of the increase in areas for many species is positive – pine, spruce, ash, elm, alder, linden, willows. The life forms of honey plants of the republic have a different ratio: the largest number of 73 species are grasses (65.2 %), 29 are trees (25.8 %) and 10 are shrubs (9 %). When analyzing data on the flowering of honey plants in Udmurtia, most plants bloom in the off-season – 72.5 %, 25.8 % – in summer, spring. There are plants of prolonged flowering, and honey plants that bloom only in September are absent. The main honey-bearing crop is small-leaved linden. It has a large honey reserve; its specific weight of honey reserve is 90.92 %. To develop the honey reserve of the Udmurt Republic, it is necessary to have a number of bee colonies 4.5 times higher than the current level, which is 224.75 thousand bee colonies. Scientific novelty. Beekeeping in the Udmurt Republic is a promising area of agriculture in the development of forest and agricultural lands, the possibility of improving it and using the export of bees to the honey harvest, taking into account the flowering time of honeybees of natural and agricultural honeybees and active nomads.