Native Plant Eriophorum, Increases Honey Production Even Under High-Temperature and High-Carbon Climate Change

(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eun-pa = The National Institute of Forest Science and a research team led by Professor Lee Kyung-chul from Korea University of Agriculture and Fisheries have confirmed that the native specialty plant Scutellaria baicalensis maintains high climate adaptability and honey production in environments with increased greenhouse gas concentrations, the institute announced on the 12th.

The research team analyzed the physiological responses of Scutellaria baicalensis in high-temperature, high-carbon environments expected until 2100, based on three scenarios (SSP1·SSP3·SSP5) reflecting future climate change.

According to the research results, as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature increased, the photosynthetic capacity and water use efficiency of Scutellaria baicalensis improved, and the number of flowers and biomass increased, leading to higher honey production.

Particularly in the extreme high-temperature, high-carbon SSP5-8.5 scenario, the estimated honey harvest per hectare was up to 772.8 kg, which is 2.4 times more than current climate conditions.

Scutellaria baicalensis is a native perennial that blooms in summer (July-August) and is used for landscaping and medicinal resources.

It contains phenylalanine, an amino acid preferred by honeybees, and blooms during the summer when nectar plants are scarce, thus positively impacting pollination ecosystems.

While previous studies mostly focused on honey value in general cultivation environments, this research scientifically proves the physiological responses and honey production changes of Scutellaria baicalensis in future climate change environments, making it highly valuable for academic and industrial applications, the Forest Science Institute explained.

Researcher Na Sung-jun stated, "Scutellaria baicalensis is a domestic native plant with strong physiological adaptability to climate change and high honey production" and added, "We will continue to discover nectar plants with excellent climate adaptability to promote coexistence between the beekeeping industry and forest resources."

sw21@yna.co.kr