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Crude protein and amino acid composition of honey bee-collected pollen pellets from south-east Australia and a note on laboratory disparity
D. C.
Somerville A C,
H. I.
Nicol B
A
NSW Agriculture, PO Box 389, 159 Auburn Street, Goulburn, NSW 2580, Australia.
B
NSW Agriculture, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
C
Corresponding author. Email: doug.somerville@agric.nsw.gov.au
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Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(1) 141–149 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EA03188
Submitted: 10 September 2003
Accepted: 28 October 2004
Published online: 9 February 2006
Abstract
Pollen pellets collected from honey bees foraging at 62 floral species were analysed for protein and amino acid content and their value for honey bee nutrition was determined. The crude protein levels of all pollen pellets analysed ranged from 9.2% for Hypochoeris radicata (flatweed) to 37.4% for Echium plantagineum (Paterson’s curse) with a mean of 25.9%. Pollen pellets from 15 species were identified as providing protein levels below those acknowledged to satisfy honey bee dietary requirements when they are the only source of pollen available to the honey bee colony. Pollens collected from species of the same genus demonstrated similar protein profiles. Isoleucine was deficient in 38% of the pollens with 69% of eucalypts and related species demonstrating a significant isoleucine deficiency.
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