Soybeans as a honey plant was cultivated in the USA and Canada. With the advent of genetic engineering, the situation has changed radically – many foreign beekeepers believe that “soybeans for apiaries have almost died” (from A. Obnovlensky’s article on Canadian beekeeping). In our country, the attitude towards this culture is also very wary.
The content of the article
- 1 Significance for agriculture
- 2 Value for apiaries
- 3 Description
- 4 Honey productivity
Significance for agriculture
Soybeans as a cultivated plant have been used by people since the time of Ancient China. There is an eloquent confirmation of this – ancient images on turtle shells, stones, household items. In Europe, it turned out to be closer to the 200th century, and in North America XNUMX years later.
For Russian agriculture, this legume crop is relatively new today. This is due to the plant’s adaptability to a warmer and more humid climate, as well as the wary attitude of the local population – soybeans have become an object of genetic engineering.
However, the demand for the plant is gradually increasing. The culture is now cultivated in several districts of the Russian Federation at once:
- Northwest;
- Uralsk;
- Siberian;
- North Caucasian;
- Privolzhsky;
- Southern;
- Central;
- Far East.
Soybeans are used in cooking as a high quality and inexpensive meat substitute. They are included in many foods. In animal husbandry, cake obtained from a plant is used for feeding young animals.
Value for apiaries
Originally cultivated soybeans served as a source of pollen and nectar for apiaries. Although the productivity of the plant in this area is low, it provided a late supportive flow.
Canadian scientists noted that the migration of apiaries to soybean fields increased their productivity by 10-40 percent, while the culture is capable of self-pollination.
But with the beginning of the cultivation of genetically modified varieties, beekeepers had problems with the sale of commercial honey. For example, when this product is imported to the European Union market, the presence of GM soybean pollen is specifically monitored. When it is found, the entire batch of honey is subject to “rejection” – the bee product is labeled as containing GMOs.
In Russia, seed is imported from abroad. There are no official data on the cultivation of genetically modified varieties. However, according to some data, such soybeans are still grown in some regions.
Accordingly, the danger of GM pollen getting into marketable honey exists in our country too, with all the ensuing consequences.
Description
Cultivated soybean is a herbaceous annual plant with a height of 15 cm to 1,5-2 meters. The stalks of the grass are thick, mostly bare, sometimes covered with dense fluff. The leaves are ternary.
The flowers are small, purple or white. Blossom in our conditions in August, September. In place of flowers, beans are formed, containing 2-3 yellow, less often brown or black seeds.
Honey productivity
According to information received from Canadian beekeepers, soybeans provide more than a modest bribe of up to 20-25 kilograms of nectar per hectare.
Our local bee breeds do not like this plant very much. Beekeepers have repeatedly noted that flying insects bypass the soybean fields. They sometimes collect nectar and pollen from close-growing weeds, but avoid soybeans. What is the reason for this behavior is not known for certain! Perhaps this is a reaction to GM varieties. Or bees prefer local honey plants, familiar to the taste and smell, to a stranger.
It is not possible to judge the quality of commercial honey, its useful properties in our conditions. Firstly, soybean melliferous plant, which provides an extremely low late flow rate, which is used for the development of bee colonies in the winter and is not specially pumped out of the honeycomb. Secondly, domestic bee breeds practically do not work on this cultivated grass. This is openly discussed in many popular beekeeping forums.
