Honey bees contribute to food production and maintenance of biodiversity in natural and managed ecosystems through the pollination of many flowering plant species, which supports the dynamic equilibrium among animals and plants. Honey bees have been kept and bred by humans because of the value of their products. Honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, queens, package bees, etc., have all been marketed worldwide. The honey bee's economic value has attracted scientific and technical interest and the unusual genetic and behavioral characteristics of this species have increased the interest of geneticists and breeders. Apis mellifera biology, sex-determination mechanisms, and mating behavior makes breeding honey bees challenging and different from breeding other livestock. Honey bee breeding programs that involve selection and improvement of stocks have been developed worldwide following different goals. Within the selection criteria considered are enhanced honey production, gentleness, brood diseases, Varroa resistance and pollination of different crops.
Some of these programs have been undertaken by researchers, producing valuable information concerning the genetic basis and heritability of traits, genes involved, methods for phenotyping, etc. Nevertheless, most of them have not been designed to produce bee stocks. Only in some cases, these results have been applied in commercial breeding programs. Nowadays, recent advances in the molecular characterization of honey bee traits have greatly expanded our knowledge of this species and bring a unique opportunity of updating the criteria for selection and preservation of honey bee genetic resources. The ability to control mating, stock maintenance and storage of germplasm, are basic to any breeding program and especially important in honey bees. The use of instrumental insemination and the design of mating schemes to avoid inbreeding are key points in honey bee genetic programs.
The goal of this Research Topic is to update the information on honey bee breeding generated during last years and generate a space of discussion about aims and new challenges. We are particularly interested in studies that describe the:
- Methods used for selection, breeding and maintenance of honey bee stocks
- Genetic and other molecular tools applied in these programs
We welcome relevant research articles and review papers that focus on the study and selection of honey bee stocks with desirable characteristics for the beekeeping industry/pollination services and the preservation of biodiversity.
Honey bees contribute to food production and maintenance of biodiversity in natural and managed ecosystems through the pollination of many flowering plant species, which supports the dynamic equilibrium among animals and plants. Honey bees have been kept and bred by humans because of the value of their products. Honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, queens, package bees, etc., have all been marketed worldwide. The honey bee's economic value has attracted scientific and technical interest and the unusual genetic and behavioral characteristics of this species have increased the interest of geneticists and breeders. Apis mellifera biology, sex-determination mechanisms, and mating behavior makes breeding honey bees challenging and different from breeding other livestock. Honey bee breeding programs that involve selection and improvement of stocks have been developed worldwide following different goals. Within the selection criteria considered are enhanced honey production, gentleness, brood diseases, Varroa resistance and pollination of different crops.
Some of these programs have been undertaken by researchers, producing valuable information concerning the genetic basis and heritability of traits, genes involved, methods for phenotyping, etc. Nevertheless, most of them have not been designed to produce bee stocks. Only in some cases, these results have been applied in commercial breeding programs. Nowadays, recent advances in the molecular characterization of honey bee traits have greatly expanded our knowledge of this species and bring a unique opportunity of updating the criteria for selection and preservation of honey bee genetic resources. The ability to control mating, stock maintenance and storage of germplasm, are basic to any breeding program and especially important in honey bees. The use of instrumental insemination and the design of mating schemes to avoid inbreeding are key points in honey bee genetic programs.
The goal of this Research Topic is to update the information on honey bee breeding generated during last years and generate a space of discussion about aims and new challenges. We are particularly interested in studies that describe the:
- Methods used for selection, breeding and maintenance of honey bee stocks
- Genetic and other molecular tools applied in these programs
We welcome relevant research articles and review papers that focus on the study and selection of honey bee stocks with desirable characteristics for the beekeeping industry/pollination services and the preservation of biodiversity.
