Project
Detection bees
Biodiversity-positive Food Systems is one of WUR’s updated Strategic Plan’s investment themes. A part of the investment is allocated to so-called wild cards: innovative small-scale research. Of the 47 submitted proposals, 10 were honoured, with a joint budget of 200,000 euros. The bee study is to receive 42,000 euros in funding. Are bees capable of identiftying diseased potatoes by their extraordinary sense of smell?
This project will determine if bees can be trained to recognise Potato Virus Y (PVY) plants. The first experiment is to prove the principle works. Once this is established, field experiments must determine whether the method is feasible in practice.