SmartBees

Sustainable Management of Resilient Bee Populations

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INSTITUTUL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU APICULTURA SA (Beekeeping Research and Development Institute), Romania


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Tab 1
ICDA
The Beekeeping Research and Development Institute (ICDA) is a private research and production unit established in 1974. The BRDI was founded by Romanian Beekeepers Association (NGO) which is the greatest Romanian association for beekeepers regarding the structure and number of beekeepers members, being founded in 1958 by Prof. Veceslav Harnaj (President of Apimondia in the period 1965-1985).

The following complex activities of the institute are:

  1. Research&Development: bee breeding and beekeeping technologies; melliferous resources and pollination; bee products chemistry; bee pathology; apitherapy;
  2. Selection and queen rearing performed in 8 apiaries placed in 5 different locations in Romania, aiming to conserve and improve the local population of bees - Apis mellifera carpatica, according to national breeding program;
  3. Laboratory analyses services for honey and other bee products;
  4. Apitherapeutics production: bee products and nutritive supplements for human use;
  5. Medicines production for bee diseases;
  6. Nutritive supplements production for bees;
  7. Extension activities;

The ICDA personnell involved in the SmartBees project are specialized in general beekeeping, breeding and extension activities; consequently, they will be involved in the Extension work group (WP 5, 6, 7) activities, covering some specific tasks and subtasks of the mentioned work packages.

More specifically, in WP5 - Development of new extension methods for sustainable apicultural production and maintained biodiversity, the ICDA specialists are involved in applying the specific surveys, together with other partners of the project, in order to obtain specific information from different regional beekeepers and breeders which to reflect their needs and expectations. The results will be collected and analysed in order to conceptualise the B-KIS model with regards at information dissemination adapted for different stakeholders and regions.

In WP6 - Field testing and selection on local bee population, the ICDA specialists will be involved in the tasks regarding the establishing of a diverse test population in order to identify and collect local/regional breeding stocks and to test it for an increased level of natural resistance. The bee colonies will be evaluated based on a specific standardised performance testing protocol applied on different located apiaries (from Romania and Republic of Moldova) and the obtained datasets will be added to the breeding data base (www.beebreed.eu) in order to estimate the breeding values. Specific research tests based on VSH protocol will be implemented also in an experimental apiary of ICDA. The breeding activities will be performed on the whole period of the project in order to establish valuable resilient stock of bee colonies. In the same time there will be collected samples of bees for molecular genetic analysis.

In WP7 – Dissemination, our team will conduct a series of transfer activities of knowledge, tools, technology and strategies that will result by project. They will include local/regional networks for breeding and conservation, training of beekeepers, bee breeders, and other interested parts to apply the performance testing protocol, dissemination of the obtained results in order to transfer good practices to the involved stakeholders regarding bee colonies testing and selection for specific traits. This task will include also the dissemination of these results by articles in beekeepers magazines, scientific papers and presentations in different scientific or technical events at national and international level. A series of steps will consist also in dissemination to the governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to raise the awareness on the sustained efforts for breeding and conservation activities of local population of honeybees.

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Tab 2
ICDA
Institutul de Cercetare Dezvoltare pentru Apicultura (ICDA) reprezinta o institutie de cercetare-dezvoltare și producție de drept privat care a fost înființata în 1974 de catre Asociatia Crescatorilor de Albine din Romania –cea mai mare asociatie de profil din Romania ca structura si numar de apicultori, asociatie fondata in 1958 de Prof. Veceslav Harnaj (Presedintele Apimondia in perioada 1965-1985).

Activitatile generale desfasurate in institut sunt de o mare complexitate si cuprind:

  • Cercetare&Dezvoltare in ameliorare si tehnologii apicole, resurse melifere si polenizare, chimia produselor apicole, patologia albinei si apiterapie;
  • Selectie si crestere de matci desfasurate in cele 8 stupine amplasate in 5 locatii diferite din Romania, care au ca scop conservarea si ameliorarea populatiei locale de albine - Apis mellifera carpatica, in conformitate cu programul national de ameliorare;
  • Analize de laborator pentru miere si alte produse ale stupului;
  • Productie de suplimente nutritive si apiterapeutice de uz uman;
  • Productie de medicamente de uz veterinar-apicol;
  • Productie de suplimente nutritive pentru albine;
  • Activitati de extensie;

Rolul partenerului in proiectul “SmartBees”:

Specialistii din ICDA implicati in proiect sunt specializati in apicultura, ameliorare si activitati de extensie. Ca urmare acestia sunt implicati in grupul de lucru “Extension” care cuprinde activitati in pachetele de lucru - WP 5, 6, 7.

Mai concret, in pachetul de lucru WP5 - Dezvoltarea de metode noi de extensie pentru o productie apicola durabila si pentru mentinerea biodiversitatii, specialistii ICDA sunt implicati in aplicarea unor chestionare specifice, impreuna si cu ceilalti parteneri de la proiect pentru a obtine informatii din diferite zone din Europa, de la apicultori, crescatori de matci si amelioratori care sa reflecte cerintele si asteptarile acestora in domeniu. Rezultatele vor fi colectate si analizate in scopul conceperii unui sistem model (B-KIS) de diseminare a informatiilor adaptate diferitelor zone.

In pachetul de lucru WP6 - Testari in stupine si selectie pe populatii locale de albine, specialistii ICDA vor fi implicati in activitati cu privire la stabilirea unei populatii diverse de familii de albine pentru testari pentru a testa si identifica material biologic local, cu un nivel de rezistenta naturala crescuta. Familiile de albine vor fi evaluate pe baza unui protocol specific de evaluare a performantei care va fi aplicat in diverse stupine (din Romania si Republica Moldova). Rezultatele obtinute in urma testarilor vor fi inregistrate intr-o baza de date la nivel european pentru estimarea valorii de ameliorare (www.beebreed.eu). Deasemenea, o serie de cercetari specifice bazate pe protocolul VSH vor fi implementate in stupina experimentala a ICDA. Activitatile de ameliorare se vor derula pe intreaga perioada a proiectului pentru a realiza o populatie de albine (linie) cu trasaturi valoroase. In paralel cu aceste activitati vor fi derulate si activitati de recoltare de material biologic conform unui protocol specific pentru a fi utilizat in analize genetice moleculare desfasurate de alti parteneri la proiect.

In pachetul de lucru WP7 (Diseminare) echipa de lucru din ICDA va realiza o serie de activitati de transfer a cunostintelor, rezultatelor, instrumentelor de lucru, metodelor si strategiilor care vor rezulta din proiect. Activitatile vor include stabilirea unei retele de lucru la nivel local pentru ameliorare si conservare, activitati de consultanta si training a apicultorilor interesati in aplicarea de programe de ameliorare si aplicarea de protocoale de lucru pentru testarea performantei, diseminarea rezultatelor obtinute catre partenerii interesati. Activitatile de diseminare vor include si publicarea de articole in reviste apicole, de stiinta sau prin comunicari in diverse manifestari stiintifice sau tehnice la nivel national si international. O serie de activitati de diseminare vor viza informarea organizatiilor guvernamentale sau neguvernamentale pentru a spori constientizarea cu privire la necesitatea activitatilor de ameliorare si conservare a populatiilor locale.

http://www.icdapicultura.ro