Jerusalem artichoke honey plant and pollen plant
Jerusalem artichoke is a valuable honey plant that finds a wide range of applications in a variety of industries. Considering how popular the cultivation of Jerusalem artichoke is throughout the world, it is worth learning more about Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant and pollen plant. In this article, we will look at what the Jerusalem artichoke honey plant looks like, how good the Jerusalem artichoke honey plant is, why Jerusalem artichoke is useful for bees, and where else Jerusalem artichoke is used. Read to the end it will be interesting!
Content
- Description of the honey plant Jerusalem artichoke
- Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant
- What is the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke, how much honey can bees collect from 1 hectare of Jerusalem artichoke?
- When does Jerusalem artichoke bloom as a honey plant?
- Why is Jerusalem artichoke important for bees?
- Features of nectar secretion by Jerusalem artichoke
- Why else is Jerusalem artichoke important and useful for bees?
- What does honey from Jerusalem artichoke look like?
- Jerusalem artichoke as a food plant
- Jerusalem artichoke as a medicinal plant
Description of the honey plant Jerusalem artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke (Latin name Helianthus tuberosus L.) is also called earthen pear.
Jerusalem artichoke is a honey plant in North America, which is widely cultivated all over the world due to its unpretentiousness, as well as medicinal and taste qualities.
Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial honey plant, with a straight stem that is well leafy and can reach a height of 2-4 m. Up to 25 lateral shoots can form on each stem. Jerusalem artichoke leaves are large and rough, oval in shape. Jerusalem artichoke inflorescences are baskets with bright yellow flowers. The fruit of Jerusalem artichoke is a small achene, somewhat similar to a sunflower.
The stem of Jerusalem artichoke underground forms numerous shoots called stolons, at the ends of which tubers are formed.
Jerusalem artichoke tubers have yellow, white, purple, light brown and other colors; for the most part, the tubers are pear-shaped, but can also be oval or spindle-shaped. Jerusalem artichoke tubers have an uneven surface. One Jerusalem artichoke plant can produce up to 30 tubers weighing from 10 to 100 g.
Jerusalem artichoke tubers can easily overwinter in the soil, withstanding frosts down to minus 40 degrees Celsius under the snow; in spring, Jerusalem artichoke seedlings can withstand frosts down to -5 C.
Among the positive features of the melliferous plant Jerusalem artichoke, it can be noted that Jerusalem artichoke can withstand short-term drought, tolerates high temperatures well, and so far no pests have been found on it. Jerusalem artichoke grows well on all types of soil, with the exception of highly acidic and swampy ones, but it loves sandy, sandy loam and light loamy soils.
Therefore, in some areas, Jerusalem artichoke can become a competitor to potatoes, and the above-ground part of Jerusalem artichoke also has economic value as livestock feed.
For example, in Uzbekistan it is proposed to plant Jerusalem artichoke instead of potatoes in some areas, due to the fact that the yield of Jerusalem artichoke is very high and can be many times higher than the yield of potatoes. Jerusalem artichoke is also quite common in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. But it must be admitted that to this day, in the territory of the former USSR, Jerusalem artichoke is poorly distributed. So, if there are 500 varieties of Jerusalem artichoke in the world, then 3 varieties are zoned in Belarus, 8 varieties in Ukraine, and 6 varieties of Jerusalem artichoke in Russia.
And this despite the fact that if you use new highly productive varieties of Jerusalem artichoke, then in the conditions of Belarus you can get 400 - 550 centners per hectare of green mass and 300 - 400 centners per hectare of Jerusalem artichoke tubers.
It should be noted that Jerusalem artichoke is used not only as livestock feed and an edible plant, but has also found wide use as a medicinal plant; Jerusalem artichoke is also an excellent honey plant and pollen plant, valuable for beekeeping. Grown as an ornamental plant. Jerusalem artichoke easily runs wild and begins to grow in the place of the former crop.
Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant
Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant is an excellent plant, each Jerusalem artichoke plant can have up to 50 flowers, yellow Jerusalem artichoke flowers reach a diameter of 2 to 6 cm, actively attract bees, which collect nectar and pollen from them. Jerusalem artichoke is a melliferous plant, a perennial melliferous plant that is not inferior in importance to sage, Salvia, Echinacea, Wintercress, Melilot, Canadian goldenrod, Thyme, Mentha, Coriander, Clover, Lavender, Sunflower, Rape, Heather, Raspberry and other good honey plants.
Jerusalem artichoke honey plant blooms
What is the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke, how much honey can bees collect from 1 hectare of Jerusalem artichoke?
There are different estimates about the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke. Thus, some sources indicate that the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke reaches 300 kg per hectare. At the same time, studies conducted in Bashkiria showed that the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke is at the level of 60 - 120 kg per hectare. In the conditions of the Vitebsk region of Belarus, the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke on sandy soils can reach 40 kg per hectare. Therefore It can be concluded that the honey productivity of Jerusalem artichoke varies, both by region and by cultivation technology and variety.
When does Jerusalem artichoke bloom as a honey plant?
For example, studies conducted in the Penza region showed that in the conditions of the region, only one variety of Jerusalem artichoke blooms - Skorospelka, while the flowering of Jerusalem artichoke continues from the end of July until frost in October.
In the conditions of the Vitebsk region of Belarus, Jerusalem artichoke begins to bloom in the first ten days of September and flowering continues for a month.
In the conditions of Bashkiria, Jerusalem artichoke begins to bloom in the first ten days of August and flowering continues until the second ten days of September.
It is indicated that in the northern regions the Jerusalem artichoke does not bloom at all, therefore in the northern regions the Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant in apiary areas will be useless, but in the southern regions the Jerusalem artichoke is of great importance for bees and not only as a honey plant.
Why is Jerusalem artichoke important for bees?
The most important thing is that Jerusalem artichoke is an autumn honey plant; Jerusalem artichoke blooms in late summer and autumn until frost. As a rule, during this period there are very few flowering honey plants and pollen plants, so Jerusalem artichoke as a honey plant can help the apiary raise a viable generation of bees that will go to winter.
It is extremely important for bees that Jerusalem artichoke is a pollen-bearer and every autumn bees collect a large amount of pollen from Jerusalem artichoke flowers, and fresh pollen in the fall is extremely necessary for bees in order to feed a viable generation of bees that will go into winter.
Features of nectar secretion by Jerusalem artichoke
The release of nectar by Jerusalem artichoke flowers is observed every year; strong winds can interrupt honey flow, but in calm weather the bees work on Jerusalem artichoke all fall.
Some practicing beekeepers note that Jerusalem artichoke can be planted quite well on sandy soils that are not suitable for agriculture. At the same time, Jerusalem artichoke can coexist with sweet clover, which can create a honey-bearing conveyor when sweet clover blooms for half of the summer, and then Jerusalem artichoke begins to bloom until frost.
Jerusalem artichoke flowers secrete nectar most during the first half of flowering. The largest amount of sugar is produced at the height of plant flowering in the middle of the day; at this time, 100 Jerusalem artichoke flowers release 13.8 mg of sugar (V. Barseghyan, 1990). Good agricultural technology can double the release of Jerusalem artichoke nectar.
Why else is Jerusalem artichoke important and useful for bees?
Jerusalem artichoke honey plant can be planted along the borders of the apiary; it grows quickly and on fertile soil can reach a height of 3 m by mid-summer, and in the fall provide nectar and pollen to the bees. Some beekeepers plant Jerusalem artichokes in rows along the hives. Thus, in steppe areas you can easily create shading for hives so that bees can more easily tolerate the heat. The fact that Jerusalem artichoke can grow in one area for a long time reduces the cost of planting and caring for it.
What does honey from Jerusalem artichoke look like?
As a rule, no one has ever seen what honey from Jerusalem artichoke looks like, because all the Jerusalem artichoke honey is spent on feeding the brood.
Jerusalem artichoke as a food plant
Jerusalem artichoke honey plant is recommended to be introduced into food as widely as possible and included in various diets. This is due to the fact that Jerusalem artichoke has a rich composition of biologically active substances. A variety of vitamins, macro- and microelements accumulate in tubers and green mass. Tubers contain a large amount of inulin, pectin, dietary fiber, proteins, organic and fatty amino acids, including essential amino acids. In terms of the content of magnesium, silicon, iron, zinc, as well as vitamins B2, B4, and C, Jerusalem artichoke is superior to potatoes, beets, and carrots. Neither Jerusalem artichoke tubers, nor Jerusalem artichoke leaves and stems accumulate heavy metals (such as mercury, lead, arsenic, etc.) and radionuclides, which is especially important for Belarus and Ukraine.
It can be noted that more than 400 dishes made from Jerusalem artichoke have been invented in the world. Jerusalem artichoke dishes are low in calories and have a low glycemic index. Jerusalem artichoke tubers can be used fresh, fried, boiled, baked, dried, stewed, pickled, fermented, salted, canned, and frozen.
Jerusalem artichoke as a medicinal plant
The medicinal properties of Jerusalem artichoke are due to the presence of the exceptional biochemical composition of the tubers. Jerusalem artichoke has several types of biological activity on the body: antitoxic, antistress, adaptogenic, immunostimulating and antioxidant. All this contributes to the cultivation of Jerusalem artichoke for the preparation of herbal infusions, dietary supplements, and medicines. Jerusalem artichoke can be grown to produce fructose, inulin, fructose-glucose syrup, which allows you to satisfy the body's needs for carbohydrates, but without the risk of developing hyperglycemia.
Scientists have developed herbal compositions with Jerusalem artichoke for taking medicinal baths, which have a beneficial effect on the body's immune system, having a general strengthening effect and stimulating metabolism. Therapeutic baths with decoction and The stems, leaves and tubers of Jerusalem artichoke can help people suffering from loss of strength, insomnia, inflammatory joint diseases, and those experiencing stress.
The Jerusalem artichoke has a calming effect on the central nervous system and improves vision. For residents of environmentally unfavorable areas, as well as for workers in conditions of increased danger (radionuclides, heavy metals, toxicants, etc.), it is recommended to regularly take courses of products and preparations based on Jerusalem artichoke. The listed properties make Jerusalem artichoke an almost universal healing nutraceutical.
