Pollination by Apis mellifera in transgenic soy (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) Roundup Ready™ cv. BRS 245 RR and conventional cv. BRS 133

This research was carried out to evaluate the influence of Africanized honeybees in grain production and seed quality of Glycine max (L.) Merrill Roundup Ready (TM) transgenic soy, as well as of conventional soy. Transgenic soy was interposed with conventional soybean, in 18 plots and three treatments: covered area with Africanized honeybees, covered area Without honeybees, and uncovered area with free insect visitation. The herbicide Glyphosate was applied on three plots of each treatment of transgenic soy, 30 days after emergence. Grain production, number of pods/plant, weight per 100 seeds, and seed germination percentage were evaluated. There was no difference among cultivars; however, the production in the covered area with honeybees (2757.4 kg ha(-1)) and ill the uncovered area (2828.47 kg ha(-1)) were higher than in the covered area without honeybees (2000.53 kg ha(-1)). The number of pods/plant was greater than in the covered area with honeybees (38.28) and ill the uncovered area (32.65) as compared to the covered area without honeybees (21.19). The weight per 100 seeds seed germination did not differ among cultivars or treatments. It can be concluded that, for these cultivars, there was a rise in grain production of 37.84% when honeybee visits were allowed.