Impact of bee pollination associated with biological control of pests and diseases on soybean yield
abelha, soja, controle biológico
Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). Although it is considered a self-pollinating species, several soybean cultivars show increased yield when pollinated by bees. This study was carried out at Fazenda Vale Verde in Capão Bonito-SP, during the 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24 growing harvests, with the aim of evaluating the impact of Apis mellifera bees and biological management using Koppert Integrated System products on soybean yield. Four treatments were tested: Control without bees, Control with bees, Biological Management with bees, and Biological Management without bees, with six repetitions. Each plot consisted of 8 rows of soybean, each 6 meters long, starting from a specific beehive located at the field edge or from a specific point (in the case of the control treatment without bees) at distances of 25m, 50m, 100m, and 200m, totaling 96 plots. The cultivar used was BrasMax Zeus - 55I57 RSF IPRO. The results revealed that bee pollination significantly increased soybean yield compared to treatments without bees, with the Biological Management with bees treatment showing the highest gains, particularly in the 2021/22 harvest (SIK+BEE at 25m: 7047.6 kg/ha) compared to the control (CONTROL at 200m: 4448.1 kg/ha). Furthermore, bee visits also increased, especially in the SIK+BEE treatment, highlighting the effectiveness of biological management and the positive impact of hive proximity.