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Project financed by the European Union under I.6.6 "Intervention in the beekeeping sector - scientific and research support" implemented in the beekeeping year 2025
Project title: "Monitoring studies of the quality of wax and comb foundation on the domestic market with physicochemical characteristics using modern research techniques", acronym EKOWASK2
Implementation period: 20.03.2025 to 30.06.2025
Project Manager: Katarzyna Kusyk, M.A.
Project value: 80 PLN
Brief description of the project: Due to the complex and important role of beeswax in the bee family, it is important that the foundation used by bees to build combs is of natural origin. Due to the high percentage of poor quality wax and foundation on the domestic market, it is justified to conduct monitoring studies to detect adulteration of these products. As part of the project, samples of beeswax and foundation from apiaries throughout the country will be tested for the presence of adulteration with sterine, paraffin and/or substances containing hydrocarbons of foreign origin (FTIR-ATR technique) and determination of physicochemical parameters and composition of long-chain hydrocarbons (GC-FID technique) of samples in which adulteration was not detected. The results of the tests will be forwarded directly to beekeepers, thanks to which they will be able to make decisions to improve the conditions of running their apiaries and maintaining healthy bee families, as well as increase efficiency and improve the quality of obtained bee products. The analytical procedures used in the research will be able to form the basis for developing a reference methodology for identifying wax adulterations. The results of the tests on unadulterated samples will be used to develop the physicochemical characteristics of beeswax and the normative requirements for beeswax.
Project financed by the European Union under I.6.6 Intervention in the beekeeping sector – scientific and research support implemented in the beekeeping year 2024
Project title: "Honey yield of currently cultivated winter rapeseed varieties", acronym RZEPAK
Implementation period: 01.04.2024 to 31.07.2024
Project Manager: Dr. hab. Zbigniew Kołtowski, Prof. IO
Project value: 79 PLN
Brief description of the project:
This project aims to provide answers to the question of the intensity of nectar production of new varieties of winter rapeseed. The potential for providing food to bees by a given plant species depends on the intensity of nectar production of the flowers of a given food plant, its flowering abundance and the size of the area on the bee pasture. The use of this nectar by bees also depends on weather conditions. In the case of crops, the grower has an influence on the size of the area and the growth conditions of a given crop. The key issue from a beekeeping point of view seems to be reliable information on the intensity of nectar production of the flowers of a potential nectar plant. In the course of the planned research, we want to provide information on the beekeeping value of currently cultivated varieties of winter rapeseed. The research will be conducted in a demonstration collection of rapeseed varieties, where all varieties will be grown in uniform climatic and soil conditions and with the use of typical agrotechnics. For each variety, the following parameters will be assessed: 1. Number of plants per unit area, 2. Number of flowers per plant, 3. Intensity of flower nectar production (nectar mass, sugar concentration in nectar, sugar mass). From these values, it will be possible to calculate the amount of sugars provided by each variety from 1 ha and their honey yield.
Scientific and research support project under the CAP mechanism "Support for the bee products market" implemented in the 2021/2022 season
Project title: "Assessment of the economic situation of apiary farms and the state of the beekeeping sector in Poland and analysis of the quality of beeswax used in the beekeeping trade" with the working name EKOWOSK.
Implementation period: 11.03.2022 to 31 November 07.2022
Project Manager: Dr. habil. Teresa Szczęsna, Prof. IO
Project value: 181 PLN
Brief description of the project:
Beekeeping is an important branch of the economy, classified within agriculture. However, the activity of this industry goes far beyond agriculture and food production, and its strength lies primarily in the role it plays in the natural environment. Honeybees, as pollinators of entomophilous agricultural plants, bring in billions of dollars of income every year. In addition, the importance of these insects in maintaining and developing the biodiversity of the natural environment is priceless. Therefore, it is important to take care of the optimal condition of beekeeping, support harmonious development and solve the problems of this industry. The implementation of the above assumptions is possible when the current situation in the sector is known, the changes taking place in it and the macro- and microeconomic environment of apiary farms is identified on an ongoing basis. In addition, many environmental and epidemic threats are observed causing large losses of bee families during wintering and the beekeeping season. Among the factors that really threaten the functioning of bee families, adulteration of beeswax (paraffin and stearin) used for the production of beeswax is mentioned. The aim of the scientific and research work of the project is: 1) To perform an analysis of the beekeeping sector in Poland for 2021 in accordance with point 3 of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1368 of 6 August 2015 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards aid in the apiculture sector and 2) Conducting monitoring tests of the quality of wax and foundation for adulteration with stearin and paraffin (using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy FTIR-ATR), in order to eliminate potentially dangerous products for bee families from the domestic market. It is planned to conduct tests on approximately 200 samples of wax or foundation from all over the country. The number of tested samples of wax and/or foundation will be proportional to the number of registered bee families in individual provinces.
The analysis of the beekeeping sector in 2021 will include an assessment of the number of bee families, beekeeping, the number of beekeepers and their age structure, and the structure of apiaries. At the same time, the level of honey production, market prices, production costs and foreign trade in this product will be characterized. In addition, losses of bee families after wintering 2020/2021 and in the 2021 beekeeping season will be determined. The analysis and conclusions drawn from it will be presented in the report entitled "Beekeeping sector in Poland in 2021". Carrying out this analysis will be the fulfillment of the obligations arising from the EC Regulations in relation to aid applied in the beekeeping sector.
The results of the wax/foundation tests will be developed in the form of test reports and forwarded directly to beekeepers. Thanks to this, if necessary, they will be able to make appropriate decisions aimed at improving the conditions of running apiaries and maintaining healthy bee families, and consequently increase efficiency and improve the quality of obtained bee products. The monitoring tests carried out will increase the awareness of beekeepers and support preliminary work leading to more regular monitoring of wax quality on the Polish beekeeping market. The results will also be used to analyze the quality of wax present on the domestic market.
Beekeeping sector in Poland in 2021
Projects financed by the Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Łódź
Completed projects
Task titled: "Research on the possibility of reducing the population of the spotted winged drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura) a new invasive species threatening the natural environment and fruit production in Poland"
Co-financed by the Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Łódź under grant agreement number 708/BN/D/2015 of 22.12.2015 December XNUMX.
Overall value of the task: 187 PLN
Subsidy value: 149 PLN
Project scope: Drosophila suzukii – spotted winged drosophila, was detected in Poland in autumn 2014 on a highbush blueberry and raspberry plantation. It is a new species for Poland, which was monitored in 2012-2015. In Europe d.suzukii It was first detected in 2008 in Spain and Italy and within a few years it spread throughout Europe. D. suzuki is an invasive species, developing several generations a year, which destroys fruit on wild plants: black elderberry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, forest blueberry and others, but also on production plantations of berry plants (highbush blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry and others), sweet cherries, plums and others.
In Poland, in the 2015 season, monitoring of the occurrence was conducted on a much wider scale, throughout the country on various horticultural crops and the wholesale market. d.suzukii by the end of September 2015, it was found, among others, on highbush blueberry, sweet cherry and raspberry plantations in many different regions of the country, and in a smaller period also on the wholesale market in Bronisze.
The aim of the planned task will be to monitor the occurrence of this pest in forests, landscape parks and city parks (according to recent reports from various countries, these are potential wintering sites for the pest) and on soft fruit plantations in Poland (especially in the Łódź province). Research will be conducted to understand the biology of the pest in laboratory conditions, under covers (frame) and on plantations, and to investigate the possibilities of its limitation (initial laboratory tests and, if possible and necessary, control on plantations).
In the United States of America and throughout Europe, intensive research is underway to understand this pest and develop methods for its control. In individual countries, entire research teams have been formed (comprising at least a few to a dozen or so people), because the problem is very serious. In our country, until 2014, monitoring of the occurrence of the spotted winged fly was carried out – Drosophila suzukii in several locations by the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice as part of the Multiannual Programme for 2008-2014 financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The scale of the threat posed by this species to both the natural environment (and soft fruit production plantations) is very high, hence the need to expand research on this pest. Since 2015, monitoring has also been conducted by the State Plant Protection and Seed Inspection – PIORiN, Agricultural Advisory Centres – ODR and some producers on crop plantations throughout the country.
The planned task involves conducting preliminary laboratory experiments to assess the suitability of plant protection products for pest control.
In parallel, it is planned to monitor the occurrence of d.suzukii and searching for effective methods to prevent the spread of the pest in the country.
In addition, it is planned to test the effectiveness of mass trapping. It is also planned to search for methods of control using safe (for the environment) chemicals and to limit damage using repellents - pest repellents.
As a result of the task, an answer is expected to the question to what extent the spotted winged fly (d.suzukii) constitutes a threat to plants growing in the natural environment and cultivated plants in our country.
The next step will be to prepare a preliminary strategy for effectively preventing the damage it causes. d.suzukii.
A measurable ecological effect will be the reduction of chemical emissions (insecticides) into the natural environment by searching for unconventional methods of pest control, as well as plant protection using natural products (e.g. SpinTor 240 EC).
