Mbazi, Paschal Hotay2024-11-222024-11-222024-05https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6450MSc DissertationPollination by insects accounts for over 70% of global food crops production. Among insect species, bees are one of the most efficient pollinators though their pollination efficiency varies between species. Amidst rising worries about declining pollinator populations due to human activities and changes in climate, comprehending diverse pollinator capabilities is crucial for conservation. While stingless bees show promise as commercial pollinators, their capacities compared to Apis mellifera remain insufficiently understood, resulting in limited domestication and thus threatening their population.. This study evaluated the pollination efficiency of Apis mellifera and Hypotrigona gribodoi on yield and fruit set in Capsicum annuum. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with three replications and three caged treatmentswhich are Apis mellifera, Hypotrigona gribodoi, and self-pollinated plants. Each treatment was replicated three times to assess the effects of pollination on yield and fruit set rates. We made comparison on bees' foraging activities and computed their impact on fruit set. Furthermore, we explored the influence of abiotic factors on bees foraging activities, to a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between pollination, bee behavior, and environmental factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences in fruit quality, seed quality, and fruit set rate between the two species. Kruskal wallis was used to test for difference among data which are not normally distributed. Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) and Dunn tests were used for normally distributed and non-normally distributed data respectively. To compare the difference in bee foraging activity, we use the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. We employed a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to investigate the relationship between fruit set rate and foraging activity, and a Poisson Regression Model to explore the relationship between foraging activity, abiotic factors, and bee species. The results show that the number of fruits per plant, fruit transverse circumference, fruit vertical circumference, fruit weight, and percentage fruit set rate per plant were higher in the plot pollinated with Hypotrigona gribodoi, followed by Apis mellifera, and lastly the control plot and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the number of seeds per fruit and the weight of 100 dry seeds per fruit among the two species (P>0.05). Hypotrigona gribodoi showed higher flower visits, pollen-carrying workers, and visitors per flower than Apis mellifera, with significant differences (P < 0.001). Conversely, Apis mellifera had more exiting workers (P < 0.001). Moreover no difference in time spent on the flower (P>0.05). Also the number of workers entering with pollen (P<0.001), workers exiting the hive (P<0.001), and time spent on the flower (P<0.05) have a significant effect on the fruit set rate of Capsicum annuum. The number of visitors per flower and the number of flowers visited do not have a significant effect (P>0.05). Temperature and humidity significantly affect the number of visitors per flower, the time spent on flower and the number of workers exiting the hives. However, the number of flowers visited and the number of workers entering the hive with pollen were not influenced by temperature and humidity. These findings suggest that Hypotrigona gribodoi is a more efficient pollinator of Capsicum annuum L. Furthermore, the foraging behavior of Apis mellifera and Hypotrigona gribodoi is affected by temperature and humidity affecting the fruit set rate of Capsicum annuum. More research on the differential pollination efficiency among different bee species in crop production is imperative.enPollinationApis melliferaHypotrigona gribodoiCapsicum annuum L.yieldfruit set rateForaging behaviourAbiotic factors temperature - humidityThesis