Australian researchers are advancing honey bee genetics through a groundbreaking initiative called Plan Bee. This program aims to create more resilient, productive, and healthy honey bees, which are essential for the country’s agricultural output. With pollination contributing over $12 billion to Australian agriculture annually, the success of this initiative has significant implications for more than 60 crops, including almonds, canola, and zucchini.
Funded by the Australian Government’s Rural R&D for Profit Program, Plan Bee is the nation’s first comprehensive honey bee genetic improvement initiative. Led by researchers from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the University of Sydney, and the University of New England, this program has gathered input from beekeepers and seed producers to develop vital genetic tools for sustaining the honey bee and pollination industry.
Innovative Genetic Tools for Beekeepers
Plan Bee has achieved several critical milestones, including the establishment of a national honey bee genetic database, the creation of a breeding manual for beekeepers, and the introduction of the country’s first estimated breeding values (EBVs) for key traits such as colony strength, aggression, and disease resistance. These tools empower Australian beekeepers to breed bees that can better adapt to environmental challenges, such as drought and bushfires, as well as diseases like the Varroa mite.
Elizabeth Frost, Technical Specialist for Bees at the NSW Department of Primary Industries, emphasized the importance of adopting livestock breeding methodologies for bees. She noted, “Estimated breeding values are used by livestock production sectors – such as sheep, pigs, and cattle – to identify traits that can be selected for in breeding programs.” This approach allows bee breeders to focus on developing stronger, healthier queens, similar to how livestock producers select for traits like fertility and productivity.
The five-year Plan Bee project has established a reference population featuring 50 breeder queens and 200 production colonies linked to commercial queen breeders across six states. These bees were instrumental in developing and validating genetic testing methods and creating a robust genetic evaluation system.
Enhancing Bee Breeding Practices
According to Frost, a nationwide survey of queen bee breeders and honey producers revealed that the most desired traits included honey production, temperament, colony strength, pollination efficiency, and disease resistance. By quantifying the genetic merit of queens based on these criteria, breeders can identify the best-performing hives and queens, ultimately enhancing the production traits of future generations.
The genetic improvement of bees differs significantly from that of other livestock. Queen bees mate with multiple drones before selectively fertilizing eggs, which leads to the production of either female worker bees or male drones. Traditionally, Australian bee breeding relied on mass selection; however, with the tools developed through Plan Bee, breeders can now utilize more advanced techniques to select the most suitable queens.
Frost stated, “Bee breeders now have the tools to transition from classic mass selection to more controlled mating, allowing for more efficient and accurate genetic improvement.” This transition is expected to benefit beekeepers by producing more viable colonies and enhancing honey production, while also providing farmers with reliable pollination services.
Plan Bee began in 2020, prior to the discovery of the Varroa mite in Australia. The research has since offered valuable insights into breeding bees for pest and disease resistance. Frost remarked, “We are ultimately striving for healthy, happy bees, and this project has reinforced the importance of selective breeding for pest and disease traits, paired with unique hive and queen identifiers and standardized record keeping.”
Bee breeders can access training to effectively use the manual, set breeding objectives, and select using EBVs. For further details, visit the AgriFutures Australia website at agrifutures.com.au/plan-bee. The Honey Bee Genetic Improvement Program (Plan Bee) report is also available for those interested in learning more about this initiative.
