Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Bee News => Topic started by: Riverrat on December 08, 2013, 09:37:34 am
-
Interesting to say the least.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/c ... -1.2251858 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-researchers-use-bees-to-drop-pesticides-on-crops-1.2251858)
-
Even more interesting are the results of the survey! My first thought was that it would almost exactly opposite of what it was. :roll:
Show's what I know! :oops:
-
Peter Kevan
It is interesting to read some of the comments on this technology. As one of the scientists who has helped spearhead the research leading to this technology, I can offer some clarifications.
The agents that can be dispersed by managed pollinators to help protect crops in the field and greenhouses are biological, i.e. they are living agents, moreover they are natural and native, that suppress fungal pathogens on crop plants and infect and suppress populations of pest insects. To call the agents "pesticides" is technically correct because the agents kill pests, but the agents are NOT synthetic chemicals.
The technology adds biodiversity and biocomplexity to agricultural ecosystems, and is organic.
All the appropriate tests so far conducted have not indicated that there are major stressful effects on bumblebees or honeybees.
Tests are still on-going with respect to managed pollinator safety, environmental safety, effects on other beneficial organisms in agricultural systems, and so on.
It would be nice to see this replace some of the nastier neonics and other pesticides.. particularly the ones used to coat the seeds with that are distributed through the plant as it grows, and infecting bees/wax/eggs /larvae etc... But again, ONLY if the log term effect isnt worse than what we already have...
-
That is a pretty good read, I took the survey at the end and voted no, I was surprised by the poll.
I guess this is an organic pesticide also..........
[attachment=0:3urtf2jz]230395.jpg[/attachment:3urtf2jz]
-
It seems very clever but I wonder if there are unintended consequences. What species besides the stated targets get affected. What are the effects on the hive it is mounted on. I imagine that these types of issues have (or should have) been considered si I think it would sell better if their attention to these aspects were at least insinuated.
Until I knew more of the details I would have to vote no as well.
-
this is very very cool. although I would tend to look at this more in economic terms in that it represents added value to the use of insects beyond what we normally think about as their purpose.
-
Indeed.. it would put a much higher value and worth on the bees we keep. It would allow SMALL beekeepers into the field of pollination/pesticides and probably allow us all to make a bit of money.. BUT, I have high doubts about any pesticide not affecting an INSECT on some scale.