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2026 Vol.35, Issue 3 Preview Page

Original Articles

Managed Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Pollination as a Potential Alternative to Artificial Pollination in Gold Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis ‘Haegeum’): A Field Evaluation

서양꿀벌(Apis mellifera)을 이용한 골드키위 ‘해금’(Actinidia chinensis)의 인공수분 대체 가능성 평가: 현장 실증 연구

Somi Lee1*
,
Kyeongyoung Lee2
,
Hyesung Cho3
,
Younsup Cho3
,
Jintae Kim4
이 소미1*
,
이 경용2
,
조 혜성3
,
조 윤섭3
,
김 진태4
1Researcher, Research Institute of Climate Change and Agriculture, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, RDA, Jeju 63240, Korea
2Senior Researcher, Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, RDA, Wanju 55365, Korea
3Senior Researcher, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City Agricultural Research and Extension Service, Naju 58213, Korea
4Farm Owner, Cheonghae Farm, Sedong-ri, Gogum-myeon, Wando, Jeollanam-do 59132
1국립원예특작과학원 온난화대응농업연구소 농업연구사
2국립농업과학원 농업생물부 농업연구관
3전남광주통합광역시 농업기술원 농업연구관
4대표, 청해농원
*Corresponding Author
31 July 2026. pp. 328-336
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Abstract

Pollination is a critical determinant of yield and fruit quality in functionally dioecious kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch.). Artificial hand pollination is widely practiced but is labor-intensive and costly, motivating the evaluation of practical biological alternatives. This study assessed managed honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) pollination in gold kiwifruit ‘Haegeum’ using three pollinizer treatments—‘Okcheon’, ‘Haesun’, and ‘Haesun + Okcheon’—with artificial hand pollination as the reference. Field experiments were conducted in commercial orchards in Wando, Korea, during the 2022 flowering season, and fruit-weight distributions for artificial hand pollination and the dual-pollinizer treatment were additionally assessed in 2023. Honeybee colonies were stocked at a density of one colony per 1,650 m2 (approximately 6 colonies ha-1), and flower thinning to one or two buds per inflorescence was applied uniformly across treatments. Mean fruit weight was 93.0 ± 17.8 g (‘Okcheon’), 90.8 ± 15.6 g (‘Haesun’), 90.7 ± 12.7 g (‘Haesun + Okcheon’), and 99.3 ± 10.9 g (artificial hand pollination). Seed number differed among treatments in the fruit-level analysis (one-way ANOVA, F3,501 = 5.8, p < 0.01): ‘Haesun’ (824 ± 68) and ‘Haesun + Okcheon’ (822 ± 113) formed the highest-seed group, exceeding ‘Okcheon’ (785 ± 97) and artificial hand pollination (766 ± 135). Soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, dry matter content, and flesh color did not differ among treatments. In 2022, 97.3% of artificially pollinated fruit and 81.7% of dual-pollinizer honeybee-pollinated fruit met the study-defined ≥80-g threshold; the corresponding dual-pollinizer proportion reached 90.3% in 2023. These findings indicate that managed honeybee pollination with complementary pollinizers can maintain seed formation and internal fruit quality while producing a high proportion of fruit above the study-defined 80-g threshold; however, replicated orchard-level trials and economic analyses are required before this approach can be recommended as a full replacement for artificial hand pollination.

Keywords
flower thinning
fruit quality
honeybee (Apis mellifera)
gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis)
pollinizer diversity
sustainable pollination
Haegeum
Haesun
Okcheon

자웅이주인 키위 재배시 인공수분작업은 수량과 과실 품질을 결정하는 핵심 요인이다. 인공수분은 널리 이용되지만 해마다 노동력과 비용 부담이 증가하고 있어서 대체 수단으로 화분매개곤충 활용에 관한 실용적인 평가가 요구되고 있다. 본 연구는 골드키위 ‘해금’ 품종을 대상으로 서양꿀벌(Apis mellifera L.)을 이용한 수분 효과를 ‘옥천’, ‘해선’ 및 ‘해선과 옥천’의 처리구와 인공수분 처리 간에 과실품질특성과 상품과율을 비교 분석하였다. 실험은 2022년과 2023년 전라남도 완도군 고금면에 있는 청해농원에서 진행하여 인공수분 처리와 혼합 수분수 처리의 과중 분포를 추가 조사하였다. 꿀벌은 1,650m2당 1봉군(약 6봉군ha-1)으로 배치하였고, 모든 처리에서 화서당 1－2개의 꽃눈만 남기도록 꽃솎기를 동일하게 실시하였다. 평균 과중은 ‘옥천’ 93.0 ± 17.8g, ‘해선’ 90.8 ± 15.6g, ‘해선 & 옥천’ 90.7 ± 12.7g 및 인공수분 99.3 ± 10.9g이었다. 종자수는 처리 간 차이가 있었으며(one-way ANOVA, F3,501 = 5.8, p < 0.01), ‘해선’(824 ± 68개)과 ‘해선 & 옥천’(822 ± 113개) 처리구가 가장 많은 종자를 형성한 그룹으로, ‘옥천’(785 ± 97개)과 인공수분(766 ± 135개)보다 높았다. 가용성 고형물 함량, 적정산도, 건물률 및 과육색은 처리 간 차이가 없었다. 2022년에는 인공수분 과실의 97.3%와 2품종(해선&옥천)의 수분수와 꿀벌 수분 처리구 과실의81.7%가 80g 이상의 상품과였고, 2023년의 동일한 처리구의 80g 이상 상품과는 90.3%이었다. 이러한 결과는 꽃솎기의 수준, 암품종과 비슷한 개화기를 갖는 수분수 배치, 화분매개곤충으로 꿀벌을 함께 이용할 경우 종자 형성과 과실 내부 품질을 유지하면서 80g 이상 과실을 높은 비율로 생산할 수 있음을 보여준다. 이 방법을 인공수분의 대체 가능성을 높이고 현장 적용 범위를 확대하기 위해서는 반복 설계를 갖춘 과원 단위 시험과 경제성 분석을 통해 재배 안정성, 노동력 절감 효과 및 비용 효율성을 추가로 검증해야 한다. 키위 재배농가의 고령화와 노동력 부족이 심화되는 여건에서 화분매개곤충의 전략적 활용은 안정적인 수분과 착과를 지원하는 유용한 관리 방안이 될 수 있다. 특히 암꽃과 개화기가 잘 일치하고 화분 공급 능력이 우수한 수분수를 적절히 배치하고, 꽃솎기의 수준, 과원의 재식 구조와 기상환경에 적합한 화분매개곤충 관리 기술을 병행하는 것이 중요하다. 이러한 접근은 골드키위의 생산 안정성과 품질 향상, 인공수분 의존도 완화 및 지속가능한 생태친화적 재배체계 구축에 기여할 수 있을 것이다.

키워드
과실 품질
꽃솎기
골드키위(Actinidia chinensis)
서양꿀벌(Apis mellifera)
수분수 다양성
지속 가능한 수분
옥천
해금
해선
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society for Bio-Environment Control
  • Publisher(Ko) :(사)한국생물환경조절학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Bio-Environment Control
  • Journal Title(Ko) :생물환경조절학회지
  • Volume : 35
  • No :3
  • Pages :328-336
  • Received Date : 2026-06-11
  • Revised Date : 2026-07-28
  • Accepted Date : 2026-07-31
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.12791/KSBEC.2026.35.3.328
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