Drone Pollinates Apples... Maybe
Dropcopter, the company that performed the recent test in central New York, claims that aerial pollination by drone has increased crop set in almonds by ten percent. Now they want to see if this approach can do the same in apples. The results? Not clear yet. But at best, they'll reflect how well the drone performed in addition to bees (not all on its own). At worst, the results might not give us any real indication at all of how effective aerial pollination can be. Continue reading >
Editor's Note: The day after this story was completed, what appears to be a press release from Dropcopter was published on the sUAS News website. It says the company has "released results from its 2018 third party" studies that show "surprising developments for apples". Specifically, the "artificial cross-pollination" of blooms "has increased the size (diameter) of the crop to be harvested. Bigger fruit equals better price." I have yet to find the actual results that were released, and a request made to Dropcopter for the results has yet to be answered.
New York Pollinator-Friendly Solar Bill Unanimously Passes Assembly and Senate. The legislation establishes a minimum standard that solar developers must fulfill if they want to call their projects “pollinator friendly". The bill still has to be sent to Governor Cuomo for his signature.
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Here’s a recent conversation I had with Megan Mack on public radio's WXXI Connections about all things bees. And it was my turn to answer questions instead of asking them for a change. Give it a listen >
BEE #VISION
* Researchers at Oregon State University have learned that a specific wavelength range of blue fluorescent light will set bees abuzz. "The blue fluorescence just triggered a crazy response in the bees, told them they must go to it. It’s not just their vision, it’s something behavioral that drives them."
* Researchers at the Bristol Camo Lab found that intense iridescence obstructs the bumble bee’s ability to identify shape. Because the eyes of bumble bees are very similar to those of wasps and hornets, the researchers concluded that iridescence produces visual signals which can confuse these potential predators by camouflaging the shape of their prey.
* Researchers at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London discovered that bees can learn patterns using one sense (smell) and then transfer them to a different sense (vision). "Being able to mentally switch between different senses is something we take for granted, but it’s exciting that a small animal like a bee is also able to do something this abstract.”