The Importance of Apiculture Albert J. Robertson Meadow Ridge Enterprises
Outline Definition of apiculture Importance of honey bees and apiculture practices Honey bee health issues The Saskatraz project
Apiculture Apiculture is the management and study of domesticated honey bees (Apis Mellifera). A critically important profession for secure and sustain the world s food supply.
Importance of Honey bees and Apicultural Practices Responsible for 1/3 of the world s food supply by pollination of more than 90-100 species of flowering plants (Greenleaf and Kremer, 2006, PNAS, 103: 13890) Worldwide economic value to food production of 50-100 billion USD annually with little or no carbon footprint (Dr. Phippes, Apitrack website) Indicators of the health of their surrounding ecosystem. Essential for the preservation and sustainability of wild species of flowering plants. Used for prospecting and detecting land mines.
Involved with collection of valuable hive products. Honey Apicultural Practices most green sweetener; more evidence of health benefits accumulating (Dr. Ron Fessenden, www.foodnavigator- usa.com) diabetes, weight loss, cognitive function, wound healing, chemotherapy induced neutropenia, cough suppression, antioxidant source. Wax Long chain aliphatic alcohol (30-3232 C) Cloned gene involved in bee wax synthesis from SAT-28. Prapanan Teerawanichpan, Albert J. Robertson, Xiao Qui, 2010, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 40; 641-649. Pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom (apitherapy apitherapy)
In the media since 2007, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Increased and continued decline in honey bee populations throughout the world is of serious concern. Possible Causes: Honey Bee Health Issues Parasitic mites (Varroa Destructor) Apis cerana Apismellifera Pathogens (viruses and microsporidia) associated with the mites Synthetic chemical miticidetreatments Residues, mite resistance, decreased natural immunity and suppression of the development of natural resistance to mites Lack of genetic diversity in the managed bee population. Compounded by poor apicultural practices and agricultural pesticide uses (nicotinoids)
Varroa Mites in Pupae
The Importance of Apiculture, ABIC 2010 Scanning Electron Micrographs of Varroa Mite
The Saskatraz Project SBA Honey Bee Breeding Program Established in 2004 in collaboration with Saskatchewan and Manitoba queen breeders. Involved assembling a large diverse gene pool at an isolated apiary called Saskatraz. Aimed at using natural selection (no synthetic chemical miticides) to select for honey bee genotypes with tolerance to parasitic mites.
The Saskatraz Project Objective: To develop productive, gentle honeybees with tolerance to mites and brood diseases By: Albert J. Robertson SBA Honeybee Breeding Program Summer 2004-05
Saskatraz Breeding Program Logistics A Meadow Ridge (MR) Closed Breeding Population (1992-2003) G Saskatraz satellite yards at MR 2006-09 (reselected elite breeding lines for closed population mating and stock maintenance) certified RC B Five Isolated Russian Apiaries Blue 40, Green, Purple 30 Yellow (2001-05) at MR RC GD GD Saskatraz Natural Selection 1 and Evaluation (2004-09) certified F Commercial Queen Breeders and Beekeepers (2005-2009) (4200 queen cells, 67 breeder queens distributed between 2006-09) C Russian/German hybrids (ii) UM/German hybrids (ii) NWC crosses (open mated and ii) (2006) Constructed at MR GD D Canadian hygienic GD Lines (TSQ) Crossed with Russian and UM (2005) Constructed at MR E Colonies selected (127) by SK beekeepers (34), MR (83) Over 6 years (representing selections from > 50,000 colonies) (2004-2009) Letters A to G represent isolated apiaries and the year of establishment at Meadow Ridge. Solid arrows indicate genetically diverse gene (GD) flow into Saskatraz, dashed arrows gene flow out of Saskatraz. (ii) denotes instrumental insemination. RC denotes recurrent selection. 1 Denotes no chemical miticides.
Saskatraz natural selection yard site fall 2006 fenced. Selection for this Saskatraz yard site is a death sentence.
Primary Selection Criteria: 1. Honey Production 2. Wintering Ability 3. Mite Resistance and Suppression 4. Resistance to Brood Diseases (chalk brood, foul brood and virus susceptibility) Breeding methods used to select and enrich for important traits (natural selection, back crossing, recurrent selection and progeny analyses).
Saskatraz Honey Production in 2009 500 442 Honey, lbs 400 300 200 100 211 89 230 142 336 370 299 371 204 252 250 152 344 103 108 374 112 302 189 330 376 254 0 85 108 109 88 112 110 111 113 116 114 115 118 119 120 117 121 96 122 123 124 126 125Mean Colony ID Total Varroa Drop 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 2009 Saskatraz Total Varroa Drop (Jul25- Nov.6 2009) 4970 3482 1252 540 544 181 145 62 136 189 85 209 10 88 202 18 11 48 124 21 76 237 574 85 108 109 88 112 110 111 113 116 114 115 118 119 120 117 121 96 122 123 124 126 125Mean Colony ID
200 Saskatraz Honey Production as a % of Provincial and Meadow Ridge Hive Production (2005-2009) % Honey Production 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 % of Prov. % of MR 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Mean Year
40000 Cumulative Varroa Mite Drop 2006 SAT 24 30000 SAT 14 SAT 30 Cumulative Varroa Count 20000 10000 SAT 04 SAT 17 SAT 31 SAT 28 SAT 34 SAT 04 SAT 14 SAT 17 SAT 23 SAT 28 SAT 30 SAT 31 SAT 34 SAT 24 0 0(May 23) 50(July 12) 100(Sept. 2) 150(Oct. 20) 200 Days
September 2006 These bees look good, but they are dying.
Colony (2004) SAT 01 SAT 24 Virus May 2005 DWV IAPV KBV June 2005 The Importance of Apiculture, ABIC 2010 Varroa (ND 2005-2006) Were Sampled From All SaskatrazColonies To Monitor Virus Infection Status of the Varroa Population and Host Colony. Pandemic SAT 28 SAT 30 SAT 34 Saskatraz Apiary July 2005 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 Aug. 2006 Sept. 2006 Oct. 2006 3 1.2 7 1 9 31 DWV IAPV Dead Dead Dead KBV 1 1.3 3 1 17 7 3 2 33 DWV IAPV KBV DWV IAPV KBV DWV IAPV KBV %T %V 0.33 0.64 0.06 1 12 9 46 0.9 2 3 10 3 26 4 95 1.5 1.6 0.75 5 11 26 0.5 1 0.3 3.3 0.72 3.9 0.9 15 0.75 32 Dead
Progeny Analyses of Selected Breeders and Non-Selected Colonies Grooming Assays Hygienic Behaviour (VSH phenotypes) Morphometric Analyses Molecular Marker Analyses Selecting for variability in virus susceptibility
50 40 30 The Importance of Apiculture, ABIC 2010 Grooming Assay SAT -84 SAT -65 40 35 30 25 20 Cumulative Varroa Drop Cumulative Varroa Drop 20 10 0 84h 84c 84a 84f 15 10 5 0 Nov. 5 Nov. 6 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 10 Nov. 11 Nov. 14 Nov. 17 Nov. 22 Nov. 26 Date 84f 84a 84c 84h 65b 65d 65a 65c Nov. 22 Nov. 26 Nov. 5 Nov. 6 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 10 Nov. 11 Nov. 14 Nov. 17 Date 65c 65a 65d 65b
14 Winter Varroa Reproduction in Saskatraz Breeding Lines 12 % Varroa Mit tes on Adult Bees 10 8 6 4 04-Nov-08 09-Apr-09 2 0 84f 84c 84h 84a 84m 23b 23d 23c 23a 23m 34d 34g 34h 34i 34m Colony ID -m denotes mean
Hygienic Behaviour Analyses Varroa Mite
Russian German (4) Unknown New Zealand Canadian A three dimensional plot showing the grouping of 5 different honeybee populations using 20 informative microsatellite markers.
Selecting for Variability in Virus Susceptibility of Saskatraz Breeding Lines
100 % of Brood Cells Infested with Varroa at Saskatraz (Sept. 16, 2008) 90 80 % of Brood Cells Infested 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 SAT 63 SAT 65 SAT 84 SAT 85 SAT 86 SAT 87 SAT 88 SAT 90 SAT 91 SAT 93 SAT 94 SAT 96 Colony ID Percent of brood cells infested with varroa at Saskatraz on Sept. 16, 2008. (Red bars indicate colonies showing virus infections) Values plotted are mean, error bars are SE.
The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again. The Importance of Apiculture, ABIC 2010 Screening of Pre-Emergent Pupae From Varroa Tolerant and Sensitive Saskatraz Breeding Lines for IAPV using RT-PCR
Summary Natural Selection coupled with effective breeding procedures show promise in improving the productivity, health and sustainability of the domesticated honey bee. Positiveselection selection pressure without the use of synthetic chemical miticides, should allow natural genetic processes to improve tolerance to mites and other pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi). Apiculture practices should focus more on genetics, breeding and biotechnologyto helpobtain sustainability of honey bee populations.
Acknowledgements Saskatchewan Agriculture (ADF), Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan (MB, AB, BC and Yukon), Meadow Ridge Ent. Ltd., SBA and CBRF GenServe Labs (Dr. G. Brown, Bruce Mann, Dr. Yves Plante, Dale Kelly, and Dr. Steven Creighton, SRC) VIDO (Dr. Philip Griebel and Wayne Connor) University of Saskatchewan Food and Bioproducts (Dr. Xiao Qiu and San Jei) Mohommad Mostejeran (Research associate 2008-present) Dr. Filipe Brizuela (Research associate summer 2008-09) Saskatchewan Bee Keeper Colony Donators & Contributors Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim (Research associate, summer 2007) John Pedersen breeder stock multiplication and selection (2006) Eric Pedersen, Lyse Boisvert, Matthew Polinsky and Vika Cummins summer student (2005-2008) Family members & Meadow Ridge staff: Tom, Jenny, and Cecilia Robertson, Neil Morrison, Rob Peace. Collaborators: John Gruszka (P.A.Sask) Dr. Solignac (Paris, France), Dr. Ralph Buchler (Germany), Dr. Rob Currie (U of M), and Manitoba Queen Breeders Association, Dr. S. Pernal (ACC, AB), Drs. T. Rinderer, & R. Danka (Baton Rouge, LA), S. Cobey (Davis, CA), BC Queen Breeders Association (T&E Huxter), Geoff Wilson (P.A. Sask).