Horticulture and arable farming activities rely heavily on pollination. Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) are undoubtedly the single-most valuable animal pollinators to agriculture because they can be easily maintained and transported to pollinator-dependent crops. It is well documented that 76% of the production of food for human consumption is dependent on the beekeeping sector and 84% of vegetable species cultivated in Europe depend on pollination.
Even though sharp regional declines in honey bee populations have occurred in the past, the magnitude and velocity of recent declines are shocking. The collapse in the global honeybee population is a major threat to crops and it is a product of multiple and often interacting factors.
Beekeeping in EU27 is practiced mainly traditionally with little progress to report over the last 30-40 years in terms of innovation in techniques, methodologies or business practices and so it maintains an extensive rather than intensive nature. One of the primary constraints towards automation and intensification of the processes involved beekeeping has been the physical impossibility of beekeepers adequately recording beehive inspection and production data.
Our proposed solution is a mobile phone application and web service, which will enable beekeepers worldwide to:
i. Record, monitor and analyze production related data of beehives via a Voice User Interface (VUI)-guided, structured and optimized beehive inspection routine
ii. Improve productivity by suggesting practices via a built-in decision support software based on unique, field-tested methodology offering : a) Advanced yet simple in practice productivity enhancement methods b) Holistic approach towards minimization of bees morbidity parameters(parasites, viruses, management issues, starvation, queen related issues) targeting the optimization of colony internal defense mechanisms. c) Production monitoring optimization and finally d) offer pollination services to farmers.
Project partners:
Beenotes
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki