Managed Africanized honey bees and native stingless bees increase Arabica coffee yields in southeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT Using managed pollinators to supplement the contributions of wild pollinators is a promising means to increase crop production and rural livelihoods sustainably. However, evidence of the efficacy of managed pollinators must be provided for many crops, especially in tropical regions. Herein, we introduced managed colonies, including Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) and native stingless bees (Scaptotrigona spp.), in 23 coffee fields across a gradient of native forest cover in southeastern Brazil. We found coffee yield per bush increased by 16 % in coffee fields near managed colonies compared to more distant control fields. We detected positive effects for both managed bee species, though with higher variability for the native bee species due to low replication. Our study provides robust evidence that supplementing coffee farms with managed bee colonies can increase coffee yields and should stimulate further research and investment in bee supplementation.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientia Agricola
Published
2025-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-992x-2023-0049
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Coffee research and impacts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.39

Funders

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article

Managed Africanized honey bees and native stingless bees increase Arabica coffee yields in southeastern Brazil

Jenifer Dias Ramos, Diego Moure˗Oliveira, Andresa Aparecida Berretta, Jóyce Máyra Volpini de Almeida et al.
1 citations
Scientia Agricola
Coffee research and impacts
1.39
article

Managed Africanized honey bees and native stingless bees increase Arabica coffee yields in southeastern Brazil

Jenifer Dias Ramos, Diego Moure˗Oliveira, Andresa Aparecida Berretta, Jóyce Máyra Volpini de Almeida, Cristiano Menezes, Alistair J. Campbell, Denise A. Alves, Fernando Celso Longhim Quenzer, Guilherme Jorge Gomes de Sousa, Carlos Pamplona Rehder
article en
1 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using managed pollinators to supplement the contributions of wild pollinators is a promising means to increase crop production and rural livelihoods sustainably. However, evidence of the efficacy of managed pollinators must be provided for many crops, especially in tropical regions. Herein, we introduced managed colonies, including Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) and native stingless bees (Scaptotrigona spp.), in 23 coffee fields across a gradient of native forest cover in southeastern Brazil. We found coffee yield per bush increased by 16 % in coffee fields near managed colonies compared to more distant control fields. We detected positive effects for both managed bee species, though with higher variability for the native bee species due to low replication. Our study provides robust evidence that supplementing coffee farms with managed bee colonies can increase coffee yields and should stimulate further research and investment in bee supplementation.

Scientia AgricolaVol. 82
Amazon (United States) (US), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
Openalex Percentile: Top 20%
Coffee research and impacts
1.39
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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