Rural Development Administration had developed standardized guidelines for using honeybees and bumblebees as pollinators for mango trees. (Image courtesy of Rural Development Administration)
JEONJU, March 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) announced on Wednesday that it had developed standardized guidelines for using honeybees and bumblebees as pollinators for mango trees.
Mangoes are cross-pollinating crops that traditionally rely on flies attracted by seafood products for pollination on Jeju Island, the main production region in South Korea. However, as mango cultivation has expanded to inland areas, farmers have increasingly sought alternatives to flies, which are difficult to source.
The new guidelines provide clear instructions for farmers on when to use bees for pollination and how many bee colonies are needed based on cultivation area.
According to the standards, farmers should use one honeybee colony (containing approximately 7,500 bees) per 40 mango trees. Beehives should be inspected three weeks after honeybees are released, and supplementary pollen should be supplied once a month to maintain queen bee egg-laying.
For bumblebees, one colony (containing about 120 bees) should be used per 40 trees. Bumblebees should be released when approximately 10% of the flowers have bloomed. When multiple hives are placed in a greenhouse, they should not be introduced simultaneously. Instead, the second hive should be placed two or three weeks after the first. Due to their shorter lifespan, bumblebee colonies should be replaced after 40 days.
The RDA plans to publish and distribute a standard manual for using pollinator bees in mango cultivation.
“This newly developed technology can replace flies, which have supply difficulties and hygiene issues, allowing stable mango production in inland regions,” said Bang Hye-sun, head of the RDA’s Agricultural Biology Department. “We will continue to research how pollinator bees can be used for various crops to produce high-quality agricultural products.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
