Abstract            Volume:12  Issue-4  Year-2024         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

The study was conducted in selected districts of West Hararghe Zone with the objective of characterizing and documenting the major bee forages contributing for honey production and to establish appropriate floral calendar for effective bee management in different agro-ecological condition of the area. Bee forage inventory was made using transect methods in a plot size of 20 m x 20 m, for woody plants and 2 m x 2 m for herbs. Pollen traps having 16% pollen trapping efficiency was fitted at the entrance of beehives for pollen load collection. Honey pollen analysis procedure was also followed to determine the botanical origin of honey. A total of 60 honey bee plants belonging to 29 families were identified and comprising trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and cultivated crops in the zone. The Pollen analysis of honey showed that Cordia africana, Guizotia scabra, Croton macrostachyus and Vernonia amygdalina are the major honeybee source plants. From pollen load analysis and honey pollen analysis, many plant species were flower from October to December and also active season/honey flow season of the zone. Generally, it is recommended, to conserve the identified bee plant species to boost honey production and determination of total carrying capacity of major bee forages in the study area.

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