Studies on bee diversity in Indian coffee varieties and impact of bee pollination on coffee quality

Globally, Coffea arabica (Arabica coffee) and Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee) are the two coffee varieties grown on commercial scale which have distinct difference in terms of pollination dependencies. Arabica coffee is autogamous (self fertilization) with varying degrees of cross pollination while robusta is allogamous (cross fertilization). In coffee, the main pollinating agents are honey bees and wind, playing a crucial role in fruit setting. Several authors have studied the effect of bee pollination on coffee yield, while the studies on the bee abundance and impact of bee pollination on coffee quality are rather limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore further insights on the effect of bee pollination on coffee quality following bee-exclusion experiments besides recording the common bee pollinators prevailing during the blossom season of both arabica and robusta coffee varieties under Indian condition. The results of the present study indicated that seven different bee species viz., Apis cerana, A.dorsata, A.florea, Tetragonula travancorica, Xylocopa sp, Lassioglossus sp and Amigella sp. noticed during the coffee blossom season. Apis cerana was the most abundnat bee species found both in arabica and robusta followed by T. travancorica. Regarding coffee cup quality, the overall organoleptic score was higher in the bee-pollinated coffees, as compared to non-bee pollinated coffees both in arabica and robusta suggesting bee pollination has a definite role in the improvement of the cup quality.