Autonomous pollination using miniature drones – alternatives to honey bee pollination

Singaporean company Polybee is investigating the use of miniature drones to pollinate crops grown in greenhouses and polytunnels as part of a Hort Innovation project looking at alternatives to honey bee pollination. The team from Polybee has been trialling their technology in collaboration with Perfection Fresh in South Australia and Western Sydney University, and were recently in Victoria to see how strawberries are grown in protected cropping systems.

Developing safer, selective insecticides to preserve honey bee health

Most currently used pesticides in agricultural applications contain broad-spectrum chemicals, which are harmful to a wide range of insects. However, the majority of insects are not pests, and with concerns about global insect declines and the impact this will have on ecosystem health, there is a need for more environmentally friendly insecticides that have selective action against major pests while preserving the health of beneficial insects.

BLUE-Rewarding pollinators with sweet-talking blueberry flowers

Research aims to better understand the attributes of nectar from blueberry flowers with a view to increasing the ‘attractiveness’ of this crop by developing new practices to manipulate nectar and ensure pollination success under protective covers including fertigation.

Switching from eradication to management of Varroa destructor

Since Varroa destructor was detected in NSW in June 2022, 15 pollination dependent industries, the honey bee industry and the Commonwealth and state and territory governments have worked together to attempt to eradicate this pest from Australia. This article outlines the move to a ‘management’ strategy.