APIS Volume 15, Number 4, April 1997
In this issue:
- Beekeeping in Southern France: An Ancient Activity Recorded in Stone Walls
- Apiculturists and the European Union: Beekeeping Without Borders
- Minitel: The First Internet
- Transgenic Oilseed Rape: The Honeybee Connection
- Extension Apiculturist Activities in France
BEEKEEPING IN SOUTHERN FRANCE--AN ANCIENT ACTIVITY RECORDED IN STONE WALLS
Although a modern agricultural enterprise, beekeeping has very old roots in southern France. The straw skeps and cork-oak hives of the past are mostly in museums now, but a catalog of beekeeping history still exists on the landscape in the “murs á abeilles.” These stone walls were originally constructed to protect the fragile, rustic beehives from the weather and predators. Many have disappeared, but those remaining are cataloged in a book published by the Musée de Salon & De La Crau, Avenue Roger Donnadieu 13300 Salon-de-Provence, in 1993 entitled Des Hommes, Des Murs et Des Abeilles.
In general, the walls oriented south and south east and were located in the best honey producing areas. They were composed of niches to house the hives, averaging 19 to 31 inches in height, 23 to 27 inches in width and 12 to 19 inches in depth. The examples in the book range from the extremely primitive (Le Mur De La Ferme Des Abeilles near Salon de Provence) to a spectacular two-story example at La Chartreuse de Bonpas a Caumont-Sur-Durance. I hope to visit some on these during by travels, but if I don’t make it this trip, they no doubt will still be around the next time I visit France.
APICULTURISTS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION--BEEKEEPING WITHOUT BORDERS
The winds of change are blowing through Europe. They are being seen everywhere and are especially noticeable each May. Every year, on the ninth day of the fifth month, the concept of a united Europe is celebrated with parades, emphasized by the playing of the European anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Two years into the next millennia, this will no longer be an idea, but is expected to become reality. Ongoing efforts now taking place will culminate in a European Union and Common Market with a new currency, the Euro. Most noticeable to tourists and others at present is the prelude to this “new” Europe, a disappearance of most traditional borders. I recently returned from Spain, for example, and was not stopped nor requested to produce any identity papers leaving or reentering France.
This year begins the five-year phase-in period to the year 2002, when the European Union’s currency is scheduled to take full effect. One local town here in the Provence-Cote d’Azur region is leading the way this May, according to the local paper (Le Provençal, 3 May 1997). The little town of Cassis, usually known only for its famous steep, white cliffs (calanques) that plunge into a deep blue Mediterranean Sea, has received permission from the French Finance Ministry to conduct transactions in the new Euro (exchange rate 1.5 Euros = ten French Francs) until 19 May. The goal is to set an example and quiet some fears about the impending monetary changeover.
Beekeeping will also be affected when the European Union becomes a reality. (for historical perspective, see September 1989 APIS. his was revealed at the recent meeting of the sixteenth annual Feria Apícola (Beekeeping Fair) de Castilla La Mancha in Pastrana, Spain (see http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix4_23.htm). At that event, E.D.A.P.I. (European Documentation in Apiculture for Press and Information), an organization that cooperates in the publication of many European bee journals, mounted an exhibit. I met some of the principals there and was given an issue of a few of the major journals that are part of E.D.A.P.I.
One of these magazines, the Belgian Abeilles & Cie (No. 56, January-February 1997), contains an editorial entitled “CARI sans Frontiers.” The author (Luc Noöl, President of CARI) discusses the addition of French authors and subscribers to this journal. These, he concludes, are just the beginning of an Apicultural information revolution without borders. The issue carries Supplement No. 12 of the European Notebook entitled “Royal Pheromone,” published by EDAPI and made available to cooperating entities. Participators in E.D.A.P.I. include: O.I.P.D.A.: Office Pour l’Information et la Documentation en Apiculture (French), Abeilles & Fleurs (French), F.N.O.S.A.D. (French)--see http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix3_23.htm, APISERVICES (French)-- see http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix3_31.htm, Imkerei Technik-IT (German), Vida Apícola (Spain), and Rivista de Apicoltura (Italy). It is significant that the 1997 meeting of Apimondia will be held in Anvers (Antwerp), Belgium September one through 6 (see http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/APISERVICES), also the proposed seat (Brussels) of the governing body of the European Union.
At the Pastrana meeting, a number of European leaders met to discuss how some fifteen million Euros dedicated to helping apiculture might be partitioned in the New Europe. Another important debate has to do with how honey quality (labeling) will be treated when the European Union is formed. Of particular concern will be the fate of those premium honeys that have what is called a “controlled label of origin.” This is particularly important in France which has very strict regulations (see http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix2_22.htm) and does not want to see them weakened. There is a concern that the officials trying to come up with honey rules for the Union would prefer a path of least resistance, given the complexity of the honeys found on the continent. In Pastrana, discussion was focused on a Spanish honey that is seeking European Union support for such a label (Honey of Alcarria).
What form the final New Europe will take is still an unknown. However, this phenomenon appears to be just one manifestation of many revolutions occurring world wide being nourished by the Information Age.
MINITEL--THE FIRST INTERNET
In the 1970s, the initial breezes of the Information Age blew through France. This developed into what is called “Minitel.” In the late 1990s, Minitel is still found everywhere and is a staple of the telephone monopoly here called France Telecom. People use it to make train reservations, track addresses and telephone numbers and find information about a huge variety of subjects.
Beekeeping is no exception. A glance through Volume 23 of the Bulletin Technique Apicole, published by O.P.I.D.A as mentioned in the article found in this issue on the European Union proves the point. Written by M. Bocquet, issue number one, for example, describes a do-it-yourself test on beekeeping knowledge through a program called “Apimedia” on Minitel. A menu allows a choice of five levels: Junior, Consumer, General Public, Beekeeper and Professional. There is feedback for both correct and incorrect responses. Issue number two discusses how one can obtain the results of an opinion poll on beekeeping subjects through Apimedia.
In issue three, Mr. Bocquet describes the use of Apimedia to find information in the O.P.I.D.A. database. The number of publications found there is astounding and continues to grow. A paper index of authors and titles from 1981 through 1990 is six pages long and contains articles on everything from acariens (mites) through venom. Through Apimedia, the full database can be searched using author, title, subject, or key words. The application reminds one of the computer-based card catalogs now in general use around the U.S. Elsewhere in the magazine it is noted that Apimedia received an award in educational excellence from the European Commission in Brussels.
In basic terms, Minitel is a computer tied to a telephone. If that sounds familiar, one only has to look at the latest incarnation of this technology, the Internet. There are significant differences, however. The Internet is worldwide and for the most part inexpensive, often free. Minitel is found only in France and costs about 1.29 FF (US$.23) per minute to use. The French technology, once so innovative, now finds itself unable to compete. Only because it is literally the only game in town has it probably survived this long. This is reminiscent of other phenomena engendered by the Information Age. These include the decline of the mainframe in favor the desktop computer and the recently publicized troubles of Apple Computer Co., a company that produced an innovative, closed-architecture computer, but was derailed by the open architecture system of the IBM PC.
Fortunately for the beekeeper, the O.P.I.D.A. electronic database is not totally tied to Minitel in France. The same article in the Bulletin reveals that it is available on disk and that software called APIBIBLIO produced by APISERVICES provides searching capability. The next step will probably see the presence of this information on the Internet. The only drawback for much of the English- speaking beekeeping world, however, is that it will probably be only en Française bien sur.
TRANSGENIC OILSEED RAPE--THE HONEY BEE CONNECTION
Many fields here in southern France this spring are bright yellow, full of the plant called “colza.” This oilseed rape relative (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera) and hybrids are relatively new to this region. They require insect pollination, but the environmental conditions are often unstable when they bloom, meaning many pollinators are simply not available. Enter the one manageable pollinating insect vector, Apis mellifera, the honey bee. This insect is also used in sunflower seed production for oil, thus the event of January 9, 1997 in Toulouse, France called “A Day of Information Exchange Concerning the Pollination of Oil-Seed Crops.” This event was reported by F. Jéanne in Bulletin Technique Apicole (No. 93, Vol. 23 (1) 1996, pp. 7-22), published by the O.P.I.D.A. F61370 Echauffour, FRANCE, a cooperator with E.D.A.P.I .
This meeting, Mr. Jéanne says, was organized by l’Association Nationale des Agriculteurs Multiplicateurs de Semences Olégineuses (ANAMSO). Part of the event was a report of a survey of the ANAMSO membership concerning use of honey bees. Among those responding, 49.6 percent of colza growers used hybrid varieties, 40.4 percent used the original (classic) plant and rest used both. Of those growing the classic plant, 32.8 percent saw use of honey bees in pollination as advisable, 8.19 percent considered it mandatory. In hybrid production, 94 percent of growers used bees. For sunflower seed production, 56 percent considered honey bees mandatory in the pollination process.
Ninety percent of hives used in colza and sunflower seed production were there at the grower’s request, according to the survey. Eighty-three percent were rented by verbal agreement. The number of hives per hectare (2.47 acres) varied between one and five (one or two most frequent for colza; two for sunflower). The hives were generally moved in at grower’s request, but located by beekeeper preference. The average price was 136 FF (US$ 24) with a range of 50 FF (US$ 9) to 500 (US$ 89 ).
Pesticide treatments are necessary in colza, but the survey shows that over 90 percent of growers took necessary precautions when bees are present. These included selecting less toxic compounds and applying them when bees are not foraging. Warnings related to bee toxicity are routinely carried on the labels of products used in the field. Participants agreed that all the elements leading to a good pollination effort in colza were not known.
Jacqueline Pierre and Michel Renard, scientists from INRA (the French equivalent of USDA) presented their findings concerning colza pollination at the meeting. Colza is a hermaphroditic plant (has both female and male flowers). The stigma is receptive before the anthers begin to produce mature pollen. The stigma is good for only about six hours. One male flower produces about 100,000 pollen grains; one hundred are deemed sufficient for self-pollination in classic colza. For hybrid see, however, cross-pollination is needed between male and female varieties. These are planted in rows, one male to four female. Care must also be taken that competing crucifers, including other varieties of colza, are not nearby to ensure purity in the resultant seeds.
The most important condition for pollination in hybrid colza is synchronized flowering. Thus, it is essential that a complete pollination effort is maintained, according to authors. The presence of honey bees accelerates and stabilizes the pollination endeavor, and results in less risk of accidental pollination by undesirable varieties or related plants. Nectar collecting honey bees are those responsible for the pollination; this produces a greater effort in the field than if just pollen collectors were responsible. Because honey bees are generally faithful to one plant, it is advisable not to introduce them into colza plantings until at least 5 percent of the plants are in flower. Purity is essential in colza hybrid seed production; the quality of the seed also depends on choice of parents and conditions under which they are grown.
A paper presented by Minh-Há Pham-Delegue of INRA described results concerning the relationship of honey bees and transgenic colza. The development of transgenic varieties through genetic manipulation has provided some new properties to plants. These include production of protease inhibitors (PI) which confer resistance to fungi and insects. The overall strategy in this technology is to develop plants that require less insecticide use. In transgenic plants, however, chemicals produced by genes designed to inhibit insect feeding or prevent fungal growth may also affect pollinating insects in two ways according to the author:
- Direct effect on colonies from proteins in nectar and pollen.
- Indirect effect in foraging behavior by modification of nectar, pollen or other volatile substances.
The results of the studies reported by the author indicate significant differences in quantity of nectar found in various transgenic varieties. Other investigations on pollen composition and structure are continuing. Comparing volatile emissions between transgenic colza and control plants also indicates that genetic transformation can modify existent plant odors. In other studies, analysis of larval intestinal proteins of adult worker bees fed PI does not show a higher-than-normal level. In addition, no apparent toxicity was found when measuring bee mortality in the same way it is done for pesticides. Finally, no inter-genotypic preference by worker bees was found.
Colza is also now being grown across the southeastern United States. It is called canola and can produce a good honey crop as it does in France. I have seen relatively little information on the plant, but concerns about its culture and pollination are likely to be similar. A chapter dealing with canola is due to be published soon in an upcoming book authored by Drs. Keith Delaplane and Dan Mayer.
In a somewhat parallel study on sunflowers, the same author found that nectar composition played a role in pollinator selection, principally due to the amount of sweet found. The floral odors were also variable, resulting in the conclusion that selection of both male and female lines with similar nectar compositions and odors is necessary for optimum pollination by honey bees for production of hybrid seed.
In another paper “Honey Bees and Apiculture: Their Pollination Role,” F. Jéanne provided a discussion of the essential elements in pollination contracts. He concluded that commercial pollination is not the purview of the amateur beekeeper. The activity requires a full-time commitment from a professional beekeeper who can bring the three constituents of a successful hybrid-see pollinator together:
- Strong hives.
- Availability of colonies when and where the grower wants them.
- Size enough to put many colonies on a pollination job.
For their own protection, Mr. Jéanne said, commercial pollinators must demand written contracts dictating when colonies are moved in and out and the number of pollinators (pollinating units) expected by the grower. The goal he said is not how many hives per/hectare, but the number of forager honey bees per unit area. Finally, he concluded that pollinator groupings make a lot of sense and suggested beekeepers study the existent GRAPPS (See October 1995 APIS).
EXTENSION APICULTURIST ACTIVITIES ON SABBATICAL
I continue publishing information on Apis-L from France. This electronic list now has over 500 subscribers worldwide. My last three letters were:
- April 23, 1997--Account of the Sixteenth Feria Apícola de Castilla- La Mancha in Pastrana Spain.
- April 24, 1997--Account of a visit to Le Bateau Abeille and discussion of fluvial beekeeping.
- April 25, 1997--Encounter with Steve Taber and discussion of his views after living in france for seven years.
For an index of letters as published see: http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aixind.htm. To subscribe electronically and receive letters as published, send to listserv@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu the following message: Subscribe Apis-L First Name Last Name.
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (904) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: 904-392-0190
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~entweb/apis/apis.htm
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
©1997 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
