2y ago

Farmers turn to tech as bees struggle to pollinate

Farmers turn to tech as bees struggle to pollinate::With bee populations struggling, mechanical pollination may be increasingly needed as a back-up.

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Or, hear me out, we stop ruining the environment, so natural pollinators can do what they do best.
- I don’t really think this is an option anymore. We’re so far gone it’s time to prepare for the consequences
  
  We have some repairing to do, that's for sure.
  
  I mean, just stop spraying nasty shit. Yeah, your crops yield a little less for a few years, but that's the price of hubris. This is what govt should be doing. But no. It's all cronyism.
- Nah, best I can do is bigger cars.
- But muh fourth quarter!
- I think while the environment is an important part, farming needs to ethically take of the animals. One could argue "certified humane" is more important than organic though it's all important. I think these are some good outlines for treating bees well: https://beeseasonal.com/blogs/every-honey-tells-a-story/organic-honey-more-than-just-a-certification
- What, don't like your delicious smog air, you dirty hippy?
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Both products are controlled by an AI-based software system linked to a mobile phone app, and each is fitted with a GPS tool so that farm workers know which areas of a field have been treated.
"Travel can stress honey bees and weaken colonies, but the business of pollinating almonds is hugely important for beekeeper income, and keeping their operations economically viable," she says.
Other commentators point to the high mortality rate of honeybees in the almond fields, with beekeepers blaming exposure to pesticides, and the stress of their hives being transported thousands of miles.
In addition, Mr Sade says that such intensive use of honeybees "poses a threat to indigenous wild bees who are forced to compete for food, and are exposed to new diseases".
Diane Drinkwater from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) counters that "if bee health and welfare are prioritised, then the need for artificial pollination is largely unnecessary".
"Bees have been pollinating fine for millions of years mainly for free, except for the bribery offered by the flowers in the form of nectar," she adds.
The original article contains 982 words, the summary contains 179 words. Saved 82%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

10 comments