By Richard Ristvedt
BeeHero, the pioneer of data-driven precision pollination, introduced today its Pollination Insight Platform (PIP), an in-field sensing solution that measures pollinator activity in crops to improve pollination and increase yields. PIP utilizes BeeHero’s patented in-hive sensors, which provide valuable in-field sensing capabilities for a variety of seed, row, and specialty crops, to enable real-time, data-backed decisions by growers. The new technology builds on and will also contribute to BeeHero’s dataset of bee behavior, the largest such database in the world, fueled by the 200K hives under BeeHero management.
About 75% of major food crops rely on pollinators, the most important one being bees. Ensuring that these crops are pollinated effectively and efficiently is crucial for sustainable agriculture and the future of the global food supply. The success of pollination and crop yield heavily relies on the number of bee visits to required crop flowers. By understanding the rate at which bees visit those required crops, growers can gauge the efficacy of pollination and identify potential issues in the process, allowing them to take proactive measures to enhance results.
BeeHero’s simple, plug-and-play in-field sensors measure bee activity, including bee visits to flowers and other bee behavior, as well as environmental conditions. Leveraging AI-powered analytics, the data – which was previously collected manually in an inefficient and incomplete manner – is transformed into actionable insights that support real-time decisions by growers to significantly improve crop yield. The activity reported by the sensors is easily accessible through a mobile device that serves as an effective management tool, helping growers keep track of dates, hive placements, and pollination strength.
“Bee pollination serves as the bedrock of modern agriculture and future food supply, and yet it has historically been a black box. We are committed to expanding transparency for beekeepers and growers by enabling them to leverage unprecedented data, not only within the hive but, now, beyond it,” said Omer Davidi, Co-Founder and CEO of BeeHero. “This new platform empowers growers with crucial knowledge about the actual bee activity in the field – with huge positive implications for seed, row, and other crops. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible, driven by our innovative spirit and unparalleled bioresearch team, to serve growers and beekeepers across the globe.”
Hazera, a global vegetable seeds company, part of Limagrain’s vegetable seeds division, served as BeeHero’s design partner for the PIP solution. Together, BeeHero and Hazera underwent a three-year research project, which resulted in a commercial deployment of the platform in the United States, Europe, and Israel.
“Together, we are enabling growers to assess pollination activity at all times, something that was previously not possible,” said Avi Gabai, Hazera Production Research Manager. “The introduction of this in-field sensing solution marks a significant milestone in the agricultural industry’s ongoing efforts to address the challenges posed by declining bee populations. BeeHero’s expertise in precision pollination, coupled with our extensive knowledge in seed breeding, development, and production, makes this collaboration a powerful force in revolutionizing crop pollination practices, paving the way for a more sustainable and productive future for growers worldwide.”
Source : Americanagnetwork