Research On Bees
National Resource Development Board of Department of Biotechnology, has sanctioned a network project 'Morphometry and Phylogeography of honey bees and stingless bees.'The 3-year project was mainly meant for intensifying research on honey bees and stingless bees, which would be implemented in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and Kashmir.Evolving improved meliponicultural techniques has been exclusively allotted to TNAU
Two of the three sub-projects envisaged under this would document biodiversity of these bees in 30 different agroclimatic zones in these states.Molecular characterization of native honey bee species would be taken up for the first time through this project.The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of honey bee population occuring in diffrent agroclimatic regions would be determined by using microsatellite markers and mitochondria genes, a Tamil Nadu Agricultural University release said today.
University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwar, Karnataka would be the main centre for coordinating the research pertaining to honey bees.The third sub-project on Bioecology of stingless bees and evolving improved meliponicultural techniques has been exclusively allotted to TNAU, the release it said.
