Abstract

YUCA-RIVAS, Raúl. Pollen spectrum of honey from Cuyo Grande (Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, Perú). Ecol. apl. [online]. 2017, vol.16, n.1, pp.31-38. ISSN 1726-2216.  http://dx.doi.org/10.21704/rea.v16i1.901.

In order to determine the pollen spectrum of honey produced at Cuyo Grande, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, through pollen analysis and to identify sources of pollen and nectar used by Apis mellifera L., 32 honey samples were studied from two harvests corresponding to the beekeeping season 2012 - 2013. In all cases acetolized microscopic preparations were carried out, pollen types obtained were identified by comparison with a reference collection. 53 pollen types were identified from the harvest of October - November and 103 from the harvest of March - April. Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae were the families which contributed the largest number of pollen types, Escallonia sp. and Eucalyptus sp., were main sources of pollen and nectar, the same that constituted monofloral honeys, due to their maximum flowering moments and the intense activity of honeybees observed in them. Pollen types such as Ambrosia arborescens Miller, Berberis sp., Cantua sp., Colletia spinosissima J.F. Gmel., Nicotiana tomentosa Ruiz & Pav., and Ranunculus sp., in combination with Escallonia sp. and Eucalyptus sp., are suggested as geographical markers. The composition of secondary and minor pollen was similar for both harvests, with Brassicaceae, Baccharis sp and Senecio sp as the most important taxa, due to their wide distribution and their broad and abundant flowering periods.

Keywords : Melissopalynology; bee-plants; pollen types; Apis mellifera L.; Cuyo Grande.

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