THE CONTROL AND CHECK OF HONEY FOR ADULTERATION IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA: INFERENCE FROM POLLEN ANALYSIS AND VEGETATION STUDY OF APIS MELLIFERA FORAGED TAXA

Abstract

The honeybee is the most valuable insect on planet earth. This is not because of the value of its direct products as they represent only 0.5% of the total agricultural production, but because of the enormous benefits accruing from the cross pollination of plants. This cross pollination ensures the improved quality and quantity of produce, fruits and seeds, improved species of self-germinating plants and also maintain the eco-balance on earth. As a matter of urgency, plants foraged by honeybees must be conserved for continuity if honey production is to be sustained and one of the ways to determine these plants is through pollen analytical studies. The study investigated the species of plants that were utilized in the course of honey production, vegetational history, biogeographical origin of honey and taxa most preferred by Apis mellifera (honey bees) in Yobe State, Nigeria. Four samples of honey were sourced. Samples were treated using standard palynological procedures. Pollen grains counts and fine morphological studies were made at x40 and x100 magnification respectively. Out of fifty-six pollen types belonging to twenty-eight plant families of apicultural importance most foraged by Apis mellifera encountered, one was identified to family level, forty-four to generic level, ten to species level, and one were unidentified. The identified species originated from numerous genera of trees, shrubs, grasses and herbs. Bade, Nangere, Damaturu, and Nguru localities had pollen grain counts of 9835, 10,329, 7868 and 8606 respectively. The predominant pollen types include those of Borassus aethiopium, Sarcocephalus latifolius, Vitellaria paradoxa, Senegalia mellifera, Mangifera indica, Calotropis procera, Daniella oliveri, Balanite orbicularis, Combretum spp., Khaya senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa, Psidium guajava, and Syzygium guineense. Indicators of Sudan savanna taxa: Acacia mellifera, Adansonia digitata, Balanite orbicularis, Borassus aethiopium, Calotropis procera, Piliostigma thonningii, Vitellaria paradoxa, Senegalia mellifera, and those from the plant family Poaceae were the highest pollen contributors (28.5 %) followed by human impact taxa (28.4 %). Pollen weight ranged from 0.40 - 0.45 g indicating that the honey samples were undiluted. The honey samples were all multi-floral, which affirmed that they were of good quality. The season of honey production was between the period of the dry season and to early rainy season (October-April). Pollen assemblages.reflected the vegetation of the study area to be Sudanean savanna vegetation type that is highly impacted by human activities. Adequate conservation of these indicator species is strongly recommended for health, safety, renewable natural resource availability and environmental sustainability.