Blueberry production in Taiwan has classically been limited, driving up prices. Looking for solutions, a blueberry farm in Zhuolan, Miaoli, cooperated with agricultural researchers to introduce pollinating bees. Remarkably, this improved the fruit set rate by up to 60% and reduced labor costs. But the Italian bees currently used, stop pollinating when the temperature drops too low. Now they’re conducting tests with Taiwan’s bumblebees to find the most suitable one for the job.
Italian bees buzz around gathering nectar, sticking their entire heads in blueberry flowers. For blueberry farmers, this is cause for celebration.
Wu Pao-liang
Blueberry farmer
It looks like the pollination rate can definitely reach 60 to 70%.
Domestic blueberry production has always been limited, making prices less affordable. This farm in Miaoli’s Zhuolan introduced Italian bees to replace manual pollination to remarkable success.
Pan Chi-yen
Agricultural research assistant
As they collect pollen and nectar, the bees visit flowers one by one, transferring pollen from one flower to another to complete pollination.
Compared to manual pollination, bee pollination reduces costs and labor. But during the blueberry flowering season from December to February, Western bees go on strike if the temperature drops below 16 degrees.
Pan Chi-yen
Agricultural research assistant
There is a species of bumblebee commercially produced in Taiwan called the “select bumblebee” that can be found at low-to-mid altitudes and is more resistant to cold. We can consider using this bumblebee.
As the blueberry flowering season is in winter, frequent cold waves create challenges for bee pollination. But the high tolerance to low temperatures of domestic bumblebees offers hope to further increase domestic blueberry production.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan
