7 James Makinson
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Stingless bees, flies and mango pollination: which farms have them and how effective are they? Dr James Makinson What are stingless bees? Photo: Tobias Smith What are stingless bees? • Approximately 500 species • Amazon region is the centre of stingless bee diversity • 11 species native to Australia Photo: Tobias Smith What are stingless bees? • Eusocial insects: termites, ants, wasps, honey bees, stingless bees. Photo: Tobias Smith What are stingless bees? • Eusocial insects: termites, ants, wasps, honey bees, stingless bees. • Overlapping generations, fixed reproduction within a subset of the Photo: Tobias Smith colony, individuals can’t survive independently • Superorganisms What are stingless bees? Photo: Tobias Smith What are stingless bees? Photo: Tobias Smith What are stingless bees? Photo: Tobias Smith Australian native stingless bees Photo: Tobias Smith Australian native stingless bees Austroplebeia australis Austroplebiea symei Tetragonula carbonaria Tetragonula clypearis Tetragonula davenporti Tetragonula hockingsi Tetragonula mellipes Tetragonula sapiens Australian native stingless bees Photo: Tobias Smith Australian native stingless bees Photo: Tobias Smith Why are we interested in them as crop pollinators? Varroa destructor: coming soon! Julia Stoess Varroa destructor: coming soon! Varroa destructor: coming soon! Mondet et al (2014) Varroa destructor: coming soon! Varroa destructor: coming soon! Which crops may be suitable? • Plant species native to the same regions as stingless bees Which crops may be suitable? • Plant species native to the same regions as stingless bees • Tropical crops: - Macadamia - Mango - Lychee - Avocado What do we plan to test? • Are stingless bees effective pollinators? • What density is necessary for effective pollination? • How do we manage bee health in agricultural systems? • What else is visiting mango flowers? Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ honeybees honeybees Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Are stingless bees effective pollinators? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ What densities are necessary for effective pollination? What densities are necessary for effective pollination? What densities are necessary for effective pollination? How do we manage bee health in agricultural systems? How do we manage bee health in agricultural systems? How do we manage bee health in agricultural systems? How do we manage bee health in agricultural systems? What visits mango flowers? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Honey bees Native bees Flies Beetles What visits mango flowers? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Honey bees Native bees Flies Beetles What visits mango flowers? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Honey bees Native bees Flies Beetles What visits mango flowers? Slide from Dr Romina Rader’s 2018 Australian native bee conference presentation titled “Stingless bee abundance and efficiency in Australian crop systems “ Flies as mango pollinators? • What fly species are visiting Darwin mango farms? • How does surrounding vegetation impact pollinator diversity? • Are any species suitable for commercial rearing? How can you help us? • Field sites: - monitoring floral visitors - conducting bagging experiments - hive density studies • Can we come visit? - We are in town until the 22nd - We will be back for flowering period... when is that? • What do you get out of it? - data on how native pollinators can supplement your orchard! Interdisciplinary Studies On The Uptake Of New Approaches To Crop Pollination Uptake of new approaches to crop pollination Current farming Practices Stingless bee Research Sunayana Sajith Uptake of new Methods approaches to crop pollination Industry Analysis Farm Analysis Geographic Current pollination Analysis Cost-benefit analysis of practices in stingless bee horticulture Mapping landscape and pollination climatic variables to stingless bee distribution Stingless bee pollination ‘Innovation’ diffusion model Medzhiphema, Nagaland Malda, West Bengal Navsari, Gujarat Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Trivandrum, Kerala Mango flowering season - Feb to March Malda, West Bengal. Agrochemicals being sprayed for pest control post mango flowering, Malda, West Bengal. Introduction of Apis mellifera for pollination and honey production, Malda, West Bengal Mango trees intercropped with chillies in Navsari, Gujarat Mango farm in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Stingless bee boxes on Litchi and Mango tree, Dimapur, Nagaland How can you help us? • Field sites: - monitoring floral visitors - conducting bagging experiments - hive density studies - farm management practices survey • Can we come visit? - We are in town until the 22nd - We will be back for flowering period... when is that? • What do you get out of it? - data on how native pollinators can benefit your orchard! Acknowledgements Team James Cook Robert Spooner-Hart Jonathan Finch Gaurav Singh Claire Allison Sunayana Sajith Universities Funders.