The Role of Apis sp. As Pollinators of Solanacae and Horticulture Indonesia: A Mini Review

Abstract

Pollinating insects play an important role in ensuring the stability of national food production. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Apis cerana bees on various horticultural plants, especially the Solanaceae family, in order to formulate appropriate pollination strategies. The research uses a systematic literature study method by tracing Scopus, Google Scholar, and Sinta-indexed publications in the last 15 years, which is analyzed using thematic coding. The results showed significant variability in effectiveness. In open-flowering plants such as cucumbers, Apis cerana was able to increase production by 189.66%, although it is still below the potential of wild insect communities (266.86%). In the Solanaceae family, this bee is effective in increasing the weight of purple eggplant, but its performance is limited in tomatoes due to the inability to sonicate (buzz pollination). These findings indicate that single-species management is inadequate for all agroecosystem commodities. It is concluded that optimizing agricultural productivity requires an integrative strategy that not only relies on Apis cerana but also on habitat conservation to maintain the diversity of wild pollinators.