Karakteristik Apikultur dan Meliponikultur di Provinsi Banten: Profil Peternak, Keragaman Spesies Lebah, dan Identifikasi Polen

Abstract

Bee farming has been a part of Indonesian society, especially for people who live in rural areas and around forests. In Indonesia, apiculture and meliponiculture activities can be found in many areas, one of them is in the Banten Province. Bees produce honey derived from flower nectar which is very useful in both the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries. Apart from producing honey, bees also play a role as plant pollinators. Pollination is carried out by bees with the help of hairs on the abdomen and legs, especially the hind tibia, so the pollen can be carried away and will be scattered indirectly when the bees move. The issue of pollinator decline which is influenced by many factors can affect the population of bees which results a decrease in pollination services provided by bees. This study aims to determine the profile of breeders, identify the diversity of bees and food source of bee based on pollen identification. Interviews were conducted with respondent breeders in Pandeglang and Lebak Districts, samples of bees were taken from the farmer's bee box. The bee samples were identified and then carried out the acetolysis process to determine the type of pollen carried by the bees. Based on the results of interviews, beekeeping activities in Pandeglang and Lebak districts are carried out by men whom most of in their productive age and the experience is still under 5 years. Based on the identification, the bees raised were Tetragonula laeviceps, Tetragonula sapiens, Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, and Apis cerana. The results of pollen identification showed that there were 11 plant families that are the source of food for bees, namely Arecaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Verbenaceae, Anacardiaceae, Solanaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Flagellariaceae.