North Carolina State University Greensboro, North Carolina
Apart from its economic value, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a prolific-pollen producer serving as food source for bees. However, little is known if varietal differences in hemp pollen chemistry would influence bee preference. Here we present the chemical profile of pollen from four industrial hemp varieties (Canda, CFX-2, Henola, and Joey) and bee abundance and diversity among the four varieties. From direct visual counts and pan traps, the number and type of bees on each hemp variety was recorded. In addition, the chemical composition (proximate analysis and profiles of mineral and amino fatty acids) of pollen from each hemp variety was analyzed. Three bee types (bumble bees, honey bees and sweat bees) were recorded for a total of 1,826 during the entire sampling period. Among these bees, sweat bees and bumble bees were the most prevalent and were highest on Joey variety. The four hemp varieties expressed protein content ranging from 6.05% to 6.89% and highest in Henola. Seventeen amino acids were expressed in all varieties, among which leucine recorded the highest content ranging from 4.00 mg/g in Canda to 4.54 mg/g in Henola. Overall, Henola expressed high protein, amino acid, saturated and monosaturated fatty acid contents and recorded significantly fewer bees compared to Joey with low content of these components except having high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our findings suggest that hemp pollen would promote bee health and sustainability of pollination system.
.png)
