Lychee industry benefits from honey bee surveillance
September 24, 2024 | ALGA |
The Australian lychee industry heavily relies on honey bee pollination, with 80% of yields dependent on managed and wild bees. Dr. Lucy Tran-Nguyen of Plant Health Australia emphasizes the importance of a healthy honey beekeeping industry for pollination-dependent crops like lychees. To safeguard bee health, the industry supports the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP), which involves extensive surveillance methods at ports, aiming to detect exotic pests that could threaten bee populations. Recent detections of the Varroa destructor mite in New South Wales and Varroa jacobsoni in Queensland highlight ongoing risks. These pests can introduce diseases like deformed wing virus (DWV), affecting bee productivity and colony health. Lychee growers are encouraged to report unusual pests or symptoms through the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline to facilitate early detection and control efforts. Close collaboration between growers and beekeepers is vital for maintaining pollination services and promoting healthy bee populations, ensuring continued crop yields and overall agricultural productivity.
Read more
Viewed Articles
September 24, 2024 | ALGA | The Australian lychee industry heavily relies on honey bee pollination, with 80% of yields dependent on managed and wild bees. Dr. Lucy Tran-Nguyen of Plant Health Australi
Read More
October 10, 2025 | Times of India | Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University has launched the Horticulture Perspective Plan 2035, a long-term strategy to diversify crop cultivation and boos
November 11, 2025 | Taipei Times | Taiwan-grown kiwifruit are more expensive than imported ones due to their limited supply, but they are valued for their sweetness and delicate texture. According to
September 29, 2025 | Borneo Bulletin | The Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) and ORGA Vietnam Co Ltd have partnered to commercialize a new thick-skinned mango variety, LD12, branded as Cat Loc
January 21, 2026 | ABC News |Growers in Australia’s Northern Territory fear that allowing pomelo imports from Vietnam will undercut local prices and threaten biosecurity, particularly through the poss
November 18, 2025 | Jamaica Information Service | The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, Jamaicans can still purchase coconut water from the Coconut Industry Board (CIB) in Kingston. CIB Chief E