In the southern regions of Ukraine, sunflower honey is the main source of marketable honey in the summer. There are about 60 species of this valuable annual oilseed crop.
The content of the article
- 1 Significance for agriculture
- 2 Distribution and Description
- 3 Honey productivity
- 4 Agrotechnics
- 5 Honey quality
- 6 Useful Properties
Significance for agriculture
It is known that more than 2 years ago, the Indians massively cultivated the divine “flower of the sun” in their fields. They obtained oil for baking and ate the sunflower seeds themselves as a separate dish.
Today this plant is used to make butter and margarine for cooking. Also sunflower oil is used in soap making. And the cake remaining after pressing the seeds goes to feed livestock and poultry.
In beekeeping, it is the most important honey plant, providing the main summer bribe!
Distribution and Description
Sunflower honey plant, widely cultivated in Ukraine, in the southern part of Russia, in the Transcaucasia and in the regions of the Black Earth zone, grows well on sandy loam and loamy soils.
The sunflower is a plant up to one and a half meters high (sometimes more, depending on rain and heat), with large heart-shaped foliage, which is rarely located on a fleshy stem.
The inflorescence has the shape of a large basket, surrounded by pointed petals of bright yellow color. In total, one inflorescence contains about 1 small flowers.
Of these, the outer flowers are absolutely sterile, but they attract bees and other pollinating insects with their scent. The inner, smaller tubular flowers with a lower ovary are an excellent source of nectar and pollen.
The high yield of the crop directly depends on the competent placement of bee colonies near the sunflower fields.
To ensure complete pollination of the plant, at least one hive with a strong bee colony is placed for each hectare of crops. If several apiaries are working on pollination of an array, it is necessary to maintain a distance between them up to one and a half or two kilometers so as not to provoke an attack.
Honey productivity
As already noted, the sunflower as a honey plant provides a good main flow in the summer. But at the same time, for bee colonies, the culture does not really matter as a pollen.
Each inflorescence blooms for an average of 40 hours, provided it is intensively pollinated by bees. With poor insect performance, flowering is delayed for a period of three to ten days.
Sunflower blooms 2-2,5 months after sowing. Depending on the region, this is mid-July or early August. The period of mass flowering of the field is about thirty days.
The most active nectar is collected from early morning until midday. The maximum visits to the baskets of inflorescences by bees can be expected in stable warm, windless weather, approximately around 11-12 noon.
In one working day, a strong bee colony can bring up to 4 kilograms of nectar, and for the entire period of honey collection – up to 30 kilograms of marketable honey. Average honey productivity per hectare ranges from 40 to 60 kilograms.
Agrotechnics
To obtain an abundant and maximum long-lasting bribe, beekeepers specially sow sunflower-facet mixture near apiaries. It goes both for silage and for seeds.
To read:
Phacelia as a honey plant
It is known that the phacelia blooms on the forty-fifth day after sowing, and the sunflower – on the 68th day. During the non-harvesting period, bees actively work on the phacelia, and then collect nectar from both crops at the same time.
When growing such a plant mixture, honey productivity increases markedly – up to 100 kilograms of marketable honey is obtained from one hectare. Additionally, the household is provided with silage. Its yield is about 60 kilograms per hectare.
The mixture is cultivated in a square-nested way. Sunflower seeds are sown into each nest to a depth of 5 centimeters, and phacelia seeds are sown to a depth of 3 centimeters.
Seed consumption per hectare:
- 10 – sunflower;
- and 2 kilos – phacelia.
Plants are harvested for silage three weeks after the mass flowering of the phacelia!
Honey quality
Commercial honey differs from other varieties in its characteristic pleasant sweet taste and delicate aroma. In liquid form, it has a light amber or golden color, sometimes with a greenish tint.
The product contains about 50% fructose, therefore it quickly crystallizes, forming a yellow granular mass.
Attention! The sunflower honey plant produces honey that is not suitable for feeding bee colonies in winter.
Useful Properties
Despite its low cost and general availability, this type of honey is very useful for the human body.
It is used by:
- when recovering from surgery;
- to improve well-being and strengthen immunity;
- to normalize the intestines and stomach;
- with severe depression;
- for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
When used externally, sunflower honey is used as a home cosmetic product. And in the daily menu, this product perfectly replaces any dessert – after all, it is very useful for health.
