Question

What is pasturage?
A) It is flora from which honey bees collect nectar, pollen and bee-glue
B) It is a fauna which helps in biodiversity
C) It is a technique of sterilization
D) Both a and b

Answer 1

Hint: Pasturage is the land area where animal grazing is practiced. Pasture lands are vegetative outdoor areas that are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock such as horses, cattle, or sheep.

Complete answer:
Pasturage is referred to as the vegetation of flowers and plants that are available near the bee hives so that the bees can feed on the nectar. Simply, it is the flora from which honey bees collect nectar, pollen, and bee glue. The flowers are the deciding factors for the quality and quantity of the honey produced by the honey bees. The plants which have good sources of nectar are Tamarind, Moringa, Neem, Prosopis, Soapnut tree, Gliricidia, Eucalyptus, Tribulus and Pungam. The plants which have good sources of pollen are sorghum, sweet potato, maize, tobacco, millets like cumbu, tenai, varagu, ragi, coconut, roses, castor, pomegranate and date palm. And the plants which have good sources of both pollen and nectar are banana, peach, citrus, guava, apple, Sunflower, berries, safflower, pear, mango and plum.
Additional information:
Apiculture or bee-keeping is defined as the maintenance of hives of honey bees for the production of honey, bee wax, etc.
Pasturage is important in apiculture because the quality, quantity, and the taste of the honey are very much dependent on the pasturage. As the yield of pasturage gets better, the quality of the honey also improves.

So, the correct answer is ‘it is flora from which honey bees collect nectar, pollen and bee-glue’.

Note: Pollen is food for honey bees. Nectar is transformed into honey, which has a high nutritive and medicinal value.