Targeted crop pollination by training honey bees: advances and perspectives

FARINA WALTER M.; ARENAS, ANDRÉS; ESTRAVIS BARCALA, C; PALOTTINI, F

Frontiers in Bee Science

Frontiers

Año: 2023 vol. 1

As pollinator-dependent crops continue to expand globally, management strategies are31 needed to meet the current demand for pollination services. Improving the efficiency of pollinators32 depends on knowledge about crop plant biology as well as pollinator behavior. In this sense, we will33 review the scope and challenges of implementing a targeted pollination strategy based on the1In review34 behavioral individual and social plasticity of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Here we summarize current35 knowledge on the bees ́ ability to perceive, learn and generalize floral odors, the bias of their foraging36 preferences after in-hive experiences and the transfer of food source information within the social37 context of the colony, all aspects that impact on foraging decisions and can be used to direct pollinators38 to target crops. We focused on describing how key olfactory cues that mimic crop floral scents are39 acquired in the hive and propagate among colony mates to guide foraging to specific crops. Knowledge40 gaps, including volatiles variability between flowers of the same or different crop varieties, alternative41 managed pollinators, and potential impact on food industry are discussed.