| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
There has been extensive ongoing research on honey bees over the last 100 years, mainly due to their vital role in society, particularly in agriculture, economics, food security, medicine, and even computing technologies. Our knowledge is growing faster than our ability to absorb it. The most common and prominent honey bee species in Iran is the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, which includes the Iranian honey bee, Carniolan, and Iranian × Carniolan hybrids. The objective of this study was to identify the effects of crossbreeding on population dynamics, egg-laying rate, propolis production, honey yields, pollen collection, and defensive behavior in Iranian (Apis mellifera meda) bees. In early March 2021 (the end of the colonies' wintering season), eight colonies of each of the three bee breeds were randomly selected and standardized based on honey and pollen storage, the number of brood frames, initial population, and hive type (Langstroth hives). The tested colonies did not receive any chemical treatments during the experiment. Data collection and recording of egg-laying rates and brood rearing were conducted weekly during spring 2021 at the Honey Bee Research Centre, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran (35.27788; 46.99562). Data quality control and analysis were performed using the SAS program. The results showed that Iranian × Carniolan hybrids were more efficient than the parental stocks in terms of population dynamics and pollen collection (p<0.05), indicating positive heterosis and complementarity between the breeds. Carniolan (Apis mellifera carnica) bees demonstrated significantly favorable performance for honey yields (p<0.05). Iranian (Apis mellifera meda) bees were superior in propolis production and exhibited higher levels of aggressiveness, significantly (p<0.05). Heterosis was estimated based on the superiority of observed phenotypes in the hybrids relative to their inbred parents. The estimated heterosis values were -3.8% for honey yields, 32.6% for pollen collection, 10.0% for egg-laying rate, 24.5% for population growth rate, -2.1% for propolis production, and -16.3% for aggressiveness. The highest level of phenotypic diversity was observed in the Iranian honey bee, suggesting the potential benefits of this breed for selection programs. Additionally, the findings revealed that the controlled use of higher-performance lines, either in pure or hybrid forms, will improve the efficiency of honey bee colonies and is recommended. |