engleski

The role and the threats for honeybees in the agriculture of 3rd millennium

In second half of 20th century the main thrust in agriculture was towards the fast development of plant protection substances and intensive selection of agricultural crops. Insects, irrespective of their usefulness were eliminated by pesticides, in the belief that plant selection would compensate for their demise. In current agriculture the area under cereals is decreasing. At the same time, areas with plants rich in oils and proteins are increasing. These plants are entomophilous and for their pollination insects are essential. The increased value of bees in the pollination of entomophilous plants emerged with the development of triploid plants, where the majority of plants are pollen-sterile, and only a small percentage of plants are pollen-fertile. Insects need to transfer fertile pollen all over the field. Having in mind these facts, and the future development of plant selection, we can predict a more important role for insect pollinators in fields, and so secure the future for honeybees. A rapidly developing world with increasing industrialization, urbanization and associated mass trade and rapid communication brings ongoing problems. For beekeeping the first consequence of this globalization, with severe losses of colonies, was the spread of Varroa destructor from Asia through the world. Due to varroa, the numbers of feral colonies has been greatly reduced and now only colonies cared for by beekeepers survive. Reduction of feral honeybee colonies has major consequences in the security of biodiversity and the pollination of wild flora. Today we are well aware of different threats for bees and beekeeping, such as the transfer of the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) to USA, dispersion of Nosema cerana through Europe, Tropilaelaps clareae and many subspecies of Varroa). All these pests and predators can be easily transferred to bees all over the world, and with them a number of known or unknown viruses.The same threat comes from the development of new chemical products that are being introduced for plant protection, such as Imidacloprid or Clothianidin. Breeding programs for honeybees result in uniformity of honeybee populations, and decrease of natural genome diversity of bees. All these problems, severe in their own right, actually create further even more complex difficulties. Knowing that 2/3 of the food that we eat comes either directly or indirectly from plants pollinated by insects, it is necessary to invest in bee research and to ensure their protection. Now after 80.000.000 years of honeybee presence on Earth, honeybees are more endangered than at any other point in history. We have needed bees for six millennia now in the third millennium AD the bees need us.

insects; pollination; plant selection; threat; globalization; colony losses

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