Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Petani Kopi Melalui Pelatihan Budidaya Lebah Tidak Bersengat

Dalam mendukung kelestarian populasi lebah tidak bersengat, pemanfaatan lebah lokal adalah strategi yang dapat ditempuh oleh masyarakat.. Pada umumnya, masyarakat melakukan budidaya lebah atau meliponikultur dengan tujuan ekonomi. Namun, masyarakat yang mengembangkan meliponikultur pun telah membantu proses penyerbukan tanaman oleh lebah. Pada kegiatan ini, dilakukan pelatihan untuk memberikan keterampilan budidaya lebah tidak bersengat kepada petani kopi di Desa Pattongko, Kecamatan Sinjai Tengah, Sulawesi Selatan. Metode yang digunakan berupa sosialisasi dan pelatihan, serta metode evaluasi CIPP (Context, input, process, product). kegiatan pengabdian ini memberikan pengetahuan baru bagi masyarakat mengenai potensi lokal yang ada di Desa Pattongko. Kegiatan budidaya lebah tidak bersengat ini sangat sesuai dengan kondisi lingkungan dan kebutuhan masyarakat di lokasi tersebut. Keunggulan budidaya lebah tidak bersengat adalah biaya yang murah, asalkan penanganannya tepat. Kegiatan ini memberikan dampak positif bagi petani kopi karena mereka berpeluang mendapatkan penghasilan tambahan dari produk yang dihasilkan oleh lebah tidak bersengat setelah dibudidaya

Water Content of Stingless Bee Honey Varies by Season

The relative humidity of the air in the region where honey is produced has a significant influence on the moisture content of the honey. The production season, feed source, nectar type and concentration, colony strength, and physical environmental conditions are all factors that influence honey's moisture content. The goal of this study was to determine the moisture content of honey collected over the course of a year to learn more about the quality and safety of honey. One hundred fifty samples of honey gathered from Bone, Indonesia, during both the wet and dry seasons were analyzed to assess the percentage of moisture present in the honey. Honey's physical properties, microbiological value, sensory qualities, and economic worth are all affected by its moisture content. At a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, an Abbetype standard model refractometer was used to measure the refractive index (RI) in accordance with the method recommended by the International Honey Commission. Comparing honeys produced during the wet season with those produced during the dry season revealed that there is a statistically significant variation in the quantity of moisture that is present (p = 0.0029). This demonstrated that the moisture content of honey during the dry season had a substantially different value compared to the wet season at the 0.01 level (p = 0.00024). Using the F test, it was determined that there was not a significant difference in the amount of moisture contained in specific varieties of honey that were produced during the wet seasons and those that were produced during the dry seasons

Peningkatan Keterampilan Komunitas Peternak Lebah Melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan Sabun Propolis

Propolis merupakan produk unggulan lebah tidak bersengat yang memiliki manfaat yang sangat besar utamanya di bidang kesehatan dan kecantikan. Di Kabupaten Luwu Utara terdapat sentra budidaya lebah tidak bersengat yang aktif memproduksi madu dan propolis. Para peternak telah sangat berpengalaman dalam mengolah propolis mentah, tetapi belum mengetahui pemanfaatan lanjutan dari propolis cair agar nilainya bertambah. Permasalahan ini yang menjadi alasan dilaksanakannya kegiatan pelatihan pembuatan sabun propolis yang melibatkan peternak lebah di Luwu Utara. Kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan keterampilan komunitas peternak lebah dalam mengolah produk propolis menjadi sabun mandi. Metode yang digunakan adalah participatory action research (PAR) yang melibatkan partisipasi aktif dari para peternak secara langsung. Kegiatan dilaksanakan selama 28 hari yang diikuti oleh sepuluh orang peternak sebagai partisipan, dan dua dosen sebagai tim pelaksana kegiatan. Hasil dari kegiatan ini adalah dihasilkan produk berupa sabun mandi propolis, serta peningkatan keterampilan masyarakat dalam membuat sabun propolis. Kegiatan ini merupakan langkah awal dari terbentuknya usaha industri kecil dalam komunitas peternak lebah Luwu Utara. Kegiatan pelatihan ini diharapkan dapat memberikan manfaat bagi para peternak lebah untuk memajukan usaha perlebahan dan meningkatkan pendapatan ekonomi melalui keterampilan yang dimiliki

The Effectiveness of Stingless Bees on Pollination of Bitter Melon Plants Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae)

This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of stingless bee Tetragonula cf. biroi pollination on the fruit formation of bitter melon Momordica charantia plants. We used hoods on the observed bitter melon plants. In the first hood, stingless bees are inserted to help pollinate 100 bitter melon plants, while in the other hoods, stingless bees are not inserted so that there is no assistance in pollinating the other 100 bitter melon plants. The method used is the focal sampling method for 25 days of observation. Based on the results of the study, stingless bee pollination assistance increased the percentage of the number of flowers that became fruit by 390%, the weight of seeds/fruit by 64%, number of seeds/fruit by 260%, fruit weight by 163%, fruit diameter by 91%, and fruit length by 86%. In addition to the size of the fruit, the shape of the bitter melon pollinated by bees is standard (long and straight). In contrast, the bitter melon that does not get pollination assistance grows with a bent shape resembling the letter "C." Bitter melon is an agricultural commodity that needs pollinating agents such as stingless bees because of its monoecy.

Nesting site and nest architecture of wallacea endemic stingless bee species Tetragonula cf. biroi and wallacetrigona incisa of Indonesia

Generally, stingless bees have distinct geographical distribution and nesting sites, inhabiting tree cavities, rock crevices, land, anthills, and termite nests. Although they have been identified base on their unique morphological characteristics, their nest architecture could be utilized as a potential species identification tool however, inadequate research has been conducted so far. Belonging to the Wallacea species group, Tetragonula cf. biroi and Wallacetrigona incisa share similar brood cell forms. This study was conducted to measure the nesting areas and nest architecture of T.cf. biroi and W. incisa in the Bone regency, the North Luwu, and the South Sulawesi region. The nesting area data was collected by interviewing the local bee breeders and wild bee hunters of the forest. The research included the measurement of the nest entrance, the structure of the food and brood cells, and other nest parts. Observation and measurements of nest characteristics was carried out on five nest architectural forms of T.cf. biroi and one nest architectural form of W. incisa. Ten colonies were observed in each nest shape. The research finding revealed that T.cf. biroi nested on the tree trunk, roof, stone, and land. On the other hand, the nest entrance of W. incisa was hard and thick in texture and dominated by black color. The brood cell form of T.cf. biroi was found variably in either spiral, semispiral, and irregular shape, surrounded by soft and slight involucrum. The brood cell form of W. incisa was found only in spiral form, with thick and stiff involucrum. In both species, the honey pot was located adjoining the nest entrance. The pollen pot was situated behind or under the honey pot. In both species, the nest architecture is determined by microclimatic factors, composite dammar, colony age, and natural antagonists