Nectar secretion and honey production potential of Schefflera abyssinica (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Harms, Araliaceae

This study was conducted to determine the nectar secretion dynamics, honey production potentiality, and a number of bee colonies required to place in a hectare of S. abyssinica forest. For nectar removal 5 inflorescences were covered with fine mesh bags on a different part of the tree one day before measuring. From covered, fifty flowers per tree were randomly selected and nectar volume was measured. On the other hand, nectar volume and concentration was measured with an interval of one hour. The average nectar volume (µl) per flower in 24 hours, average nectar concentration and amount of sugar per flower/season, sugar amount per tree, honey per tree and honey potential per hectare for S. abyssinica were 11.6, 25.6%, 17.78 kg, 8.85 kg, 10.79 kg, 1791 kg respectively. The actual harvestable amount of honey is half of the potential (895.5 kg/ha). If a kilogram of S. abyssinica honey would be valued 7 Dollars, the total financial to be expected is 6268.5$. Mean nectar volume and concentration have significant differences (p<0.05) in different hours of the days.  Nectar volume and concentration were positively correlated with temperature. One hectare of productive trees of S. abyssinica holds 56 or 36 or 20 honeybee colonies for traditional or transitional or frame hives respectively. Due to its high potentiality, monofloral honey can be produced from this species at where it is abundantly found. Therefore, propagation and in-situ conservation of this species is also recommended for sustainable honey production and environmental conservation.