National Honey Bee Breeding Strategy 2024-2029
In all livestock industries, genetic selection has been used to increase animal productivity and, by extension, enterprise profitability. The Australian honey bee industry is no...
HONEY BEE & POLLINATION
Genetic Evaluation of Australian Honey Bees using BLUP procedures
28 pages
Published: 15 Dec 2015
Author(s): Banks, R. G, Boerner, V.
Share this content
-
Download report PDF
Download -
Purchase a hard copy - AUD $45.00
All agricultural industries must address the challenge of prices rising faster for inputs or costs, than for outputs or products (this is commonly referred to as the cost-price squeeze). Continuous productivity improvement is needed to meet this challenge. A key strategy contributing to achieving continuous productivity improvement in all modern, viable industries is genetic improvement.
Identifying the individuals with the best genes is achieved in essentially all livestock industries by the use of advanced statistical methods to analyse pedigree and performance data. Identifying the individuals with the best genes is referred to as genetic evaluation.
This project explored the potential to apply such methods to breeding programs in the Australian honey bee industry. The results of this pilot project show that there is real potential for genetic improvement of production and health traits in Australian honey bees, and that there is scope for applying the advanced statistical techniques currently used in other industries.
The results highlight an exciting and valuable opportunity for Australian honey bee breeders. The report also flags ways implementation of genetic evaluation could be adapted to incorporate tackling major challenges such as Varroa.
Related resources
Varroa destructor Research Strategy 2024-2027
Following the arrival of varroa at the Port of Newcastle, AgriFutures Australia commissioned research on how the industry should prepare for the possible establishment of...
Fact sheet: Identifying new revenue opportunities for the honey bee industry
The primary objective of the Identifying revenue opportunities for AgriFutures Australia’s rural industries project was to identify potential new and alternate revenue sources within 28...
Clover4Bees: Pilot study
The Clover4Bees pilot study represents a significant step forward in understanding the potential of pasture legumes to benefit the Australian honey bee industry. The project...
The buzz of the nation: The European honey bee and its remarkable impact on Australian agriculture
Small in size but extraordinarily influential, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has a remarkable impact on our food and livelihoods. About two-thirds of Australian...
Project snapshot: Value of honey bee pollination to the Australian economy
Since the mid-1980s, economists have made numerous attempts at estimating the value of honey bee pollination to the Australian economy. The exercise is not straightforward,...
Industry blueprint: Honey Bee & Pollination
This blueprint serves as a resource for those interested in the honey bee and pollination industry and provides essential fast facts alongside the fundamental themes...
Value of honey bee pollination to the Australian economy
Since the mid-1980s, economists have made numerous attempts at estimating the value of honey bee pollination to the Australian economy. The exercise is not straightforward,...