A5054290687- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
Institute for Bee Research
2020-2024
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
2020
Here, we cover a wide range of methods currently in use and recommended modern queen rearing, selection, breeding. The recommendations are meant to serve as standards for scientific practical beekeeping purposes. basic conditions different management techniques rearing described, including suitable technical equipment. As the success breeding programmes strongly depends on selective mating queens, subsection is dedicated quality control stations. Recommendations handling queens complete...
The Apis mellifera carnica subspecies of the honeybee has long been praised for its gentleness and good honey yield before systematic breeding efforts began in early 20th century. However, introduction modern techniques genetic evaluation (best linear unbiased prediction, BLUP) a computerized data management mid 1990s, progress was slow. Here, results official value estimation BeeBreed.eu are analyzed to characterize inbreeding. From about year 2000 onward, progression accelerated resulted...
Abstract Genomic selection has increased genetic gain in several livestock species, but due to the complicated genetics and reproduction biology not yet honey bees. Recently, 2970 queens were genotyped gather a reference population. For application of genomic bees, this study analyzes accuracy bias pedigree-based breeding values for yield, three workability traits, two traits resistance against parasite Varroa destructor . value estimation, we use bee-specific model with maternal direct...
Abstract Estimating genetic parameters of quantitative traits is a prerequisite for animal breeding. In honeybees, the variance separates into queen and worker effects. However, under data paucity, parameter estimations that account this peculiarity often yield implausible results. Consequently, simplified models attribute all contributions to either (queen model) or workers (worker are used estimate components in honeybees. causes with complete model (colony fail consequences estimates...
Instrumental insemination of honeybees allows for two opposing breeding strategies. In single colony (SCI), all drones to inseminate a queen are taken from one colony. pooled semen (PSI), sperm many genetically diverse is mixed and queens fertilized the resulting drone pool. While SCI maximum pedigree control, proponents PSI claim reduce inbreeding maintain genetic variance. Using stochastic simulation studies, we compared progress rates in small honeybee populations under PSI. Four...
Abstract Background Mating control is a crucial aspect of honeybee breeding. Instrumental insemination queens gives the breeder maximum over genetic origin involved drones. However, in addition to drones’ descent, breeder’s also extends number drones use for inseminations. Thus far, this has largely been ignored attempts optimize breeding schemes. The literature provides some comparisons between single drone inseminations (SDI) and multi (MDI) but it unclear whether used MDI relevant...
Abstract Directional selection in a population yields reduced genetic variance due to the Bulmer effect. While this effect has been thoroughly investigated mammals, it is poorly studied social insects with biological peculiarities such as haplo-diploidy or collective expression of traits. In addition natural adaptation climate change, parasites, and pesticides, honeybees increasingly experience artificial pressure through modern breeding programs. Besides selection, many honeybee schemes...
Abstract Background With the completion of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip for honey bees, technical basis genomic selection is laid. However, its application in practice, methods to estimate breeding values need be adapted specificities genetics and infrastructure this species. Drone-producing queens (DPQ) are used mating control, usually, they head non-phenotyped colonies that will placed on stations. Breeding (BQ) intended phenotyped produce new queens. Our aim was evaluate...
Genetic and residual variances of traits are important input parameters for best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) breeding value estimation. In honeybees, estimates these often associated with large standard errors, entailing a risk to perform genetic evaluations under wrong premises. The consequences hereof have not been sufficiently studied. particular, there no adequate investigations on this topic accounting multi-trait selection or peculiarities the honeybee. We performed simulation...
Click to increase image sizeClick decrease size Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Abstract Background In recent years, the breeding of honeybees has gained significant scientific interest, and numerous theoretical practical improvements have been made regarding collection processing their performance data. It is now known that selection high-quality drone material crucial for mid to long-term success. However, there no conclusive mathematical theory explain these findings. Methods We derived formulas describe response a population an unselected passive benefits indirectly...
Mating control is crucial in honeybee breeding and commonly guaranteed by bringing virgin queens to isolated mating stations (IMS) for their nuptial flights. However, most programs struggle provide sufficiently many IMS. Research institutions routinely perform instrumental insemination of honeybees, but its potential substitute IMS has not been studied. We performed stochastic simulations compare strategies on terms genetic progress inbreeding development. focused the role paternal...
Click to increase image sizeClick decrease size AcknowledgementWe would like thank Dr. Cecilia Costa, Prof. Sreten Andonov, Jakob Wegener, Mr. Thomas Galea, Assist. Marin Kovačić, and Jeremy Groome for the valuable suggestions improvement of article.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict interest was reported by authors.
In preparation of genomic selection, the data is compared to pedigree information, and samples causing Mendelian inconsistencies are removed. Traditionally, opposing homozygotes coefficients inbreeding relationships were used for this purpose. Here, we adapted these methods peculiar mating biology in honey bees. We developed a rule system removal bees based on empirical distributions relationship real simulated data. To initiate selection bee, 2,970 phenotyped queens recently genotyped about...
Honeybee diseases related to viruses and fungi play a major role in colony losses. Because of the ubiquity pathogens, breeding for genetic resistance is highly desirable as sustained strategy. Culling affected colonies populations has apparently not sufficed develop resistance. Arguably, targeted selection on yield other traits overshadowed culling effect explicit consideration necessary. Here, we present development additive-genetic models disease basis best linear unbiased prediction...
Genomic selection has increased genetic gain in several livestock species, but due to the complicated genetics and reproduction biology not yet honey bees. Recently, 2 970 queens were genotyped gather a reference population. For application of genomic bees, this study analyses predictive ability bias pedigree-based breeding values for yield, three workability traits two resistance against parasite Varroa destructor. value estimation, we use bee-specific model with maternal direct effects,...
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.