![](\"http:\/\/www.agrolink.com.br\/upload\/imagens-resizes\/d9947de8fa1b419687999ec6ce8b0de9_858x483.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Native bees may play a decisive role in the productivity of dwarf rice in Porto Marinho, in northwestern Rio de Janeiro. According to data released by Embrapa Agrobiologia (RJ), plants visited by pollinators produced 26% more grains, while the weight of the filled grains increased by 41% compared to plants subjected only to wind pollination.\n<\/p>\n
The result was obtained in two harvests, in 2024 and 2025, on farms producing dwarf rice in the rural district of Porto Marinho, in Cantagalo (RJ). The study is part of the body of scientific evidence that supports the application for Geographical Indication (GI) by Designation of Origin (DO) of the product, filed on August 8 of this year at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) by the Association of Rural Producers, Fishermen, Artisans, Residents and Friends of Porto Marinho and Surroundings (Apomar).<\/p>\n
THE rice<\/a> It is traditionally associated with self-pollination or wind action. In Porto Marinho, however, the cultivation conditions have changed this scenario. The valley has low wind speeds during the flowering period, favoring the participation of bees in pollination. \u201cWe concluded that, in the case of a native variety, under agroecological management, free of pesticides, and in conditions of low wind speed during flowering (less than 2 m\/s), native bees play a decisive role in the production of\u2026\u201d Rice<\/a> "Dwarf, challenging the paradigm of exclusively abiotic pollination," points out Embrapa researcher Mariella Uz\u00eada.<\/p>\n To measure the effect of pollinators, researchers conducted bee exclusion experiments on 15 properties in the Porto Marinho region. Five properties were evaluated in 2024 and ten in 2025.<\/p>\n At each sampling point, five panicles were selected at the beginning of flowering and distributed into three treatments, totaling 15 panicles per property. The researchers used two types of bags to isolate the flowers.<\/p>\n Organza bags prevented bees and wind from interfering, leaving the plants subject only to self-pollination. Tulle bags, on the other hand, excluded bees but allowed self-pollination and anemophily, which is pollination carried out by the wind.<\/p>\n The results of these treatments were compared with panicles that remained exposed to bee activity. According to data released by Embrapa Agrobiologia, the difference allowed for measuring the effect of pollinators on production. \u201cBy comparing the treatments, it was possible to measure the effect of pollinators and calculate the effective ecosystem service,\u201d explains Uz\u00eada.\n<\/p>\n According to data released by Embrapa Agrobiologia, the observed productivity gain is consistent with results from studies conducted on other crops that depend on pollinators, such as canola, buckwheat, coriander, and cotton.<\/p>\n The research also identified a diverse bee community associated with dwarf rice cultivation. Five species were found: the native species Exomalopsis sp., Trigona spinipes, Augochlorella sp., and Augochloropsis sp., as well as the exotic species Apis mellifera.<\/p>\n Monitoring was carried out through active sampling with an entomological aspirator on five properties, between 8 am and 11 am, the period of greatest rice flowering activity.<\/p>\n According to data released by Embrapa Agrobiologia, Apis mellifera was present in 100% of the evaluated areas. The native species Trigona spinipes was found in 80% of the properties, while Exomalopsis sp. appeared in 40% of the properties. "This demonstrates that the agroecological system studied supports a diverse community, with complementary groups: large generalists that promote cross-pollination between distant plants and small solitary bees that perform precise pollen deposition," reveals the researcher.<\/p>\n Pollinator diversity is also related to the production system adopted in the cultivation of Dwarf Rice. According to data released by Embrapa Agrobiologia, it is a creole variety produced in an agroecological system, without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. \u201cIt is known that the presence of pesticides reduces the abundance and diversity of native bees, compromising the role of biotic pollination in conventional rice cultivation. Although our study did not include a direct comparison with conventional systems, what we can conclude is that, under the conditions evaluated, bees are present and contribute significantly to the production of Dwarf Rice,\u201d reinforces Uz\u00eada.\n<\/p>\n The role of bees became even more important given the climatic conditions recorded during the 2025 harvest. That year, cultivation was marked by severe drought and extreme heat during the flowering period.<\/p>\n In this scenario, the speed of pollination carried out by insects may have allowed the flower ovules to be reached before the high temperatures caused their abortion. \u201cStudies show that the critical daytime temperature limit for grain formation is approximately 37.2\u00b0C. Above this, fertility is reduced and thermal stress affects pollen viability. Thus, the speed and synchronicity of the action of biotic pollinators become crucial for the resilience of the production system,\u201d concludes Uz\u00eada.<\/p>\n The results reinforce the importance of bees to the production system of Porto Marinho Dwarf Rice and add scientific evidence to the relationship between the characteristics of the product and the territory where it is grown.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nTHE MM Cereais<\/strong> It works with the best rice grains on the market and also keeps you up-to-date on the latest news and analysis about agribusiness.
\nDon't forget to follow our social networks.<\/em><\/h6>\n