Niger
Oilseed crop of Ethiopia and India that bees visit intensively in its autumn bloom; it depends on insects for pollination and is a good nectar source.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Fast
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,5-1,5 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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Niger is an annual oilseed crop grown for its seed in the Ethiopian highlands and in India; in Europe the seed is also known as bird food. Its flowers are largely self-incompatible, meaning they need cross-pollination, and therefore bees, to set seed. In Ethiopia it is an important source for beekeepers after the rainy season; its nectar and pollen yield is good.
Flowering
It is a short-day plant; when sown in spring in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, flowering shifts to between late August and October and ends with the first frosts.
Honey and pollen
In Ethiopia honey dominated by niger is produced; it is light yellow and granulates quickly. The pollen loads are yellow.
Note for the beekeeper
It can be sown on a trial scale in Turkey and Europe, but because it flowers late it may be caught by frost in cold regions. In seed production, placing colonies at the field edge at the start of flowering increases the yield.