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A long-term commitment to pollination and honey bee research |
By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California and Chris Heintz, Liaison to the Almond Board, of California Bee Task Force, Executive Director, Project Apis m. - - The Almond Board of California (ABC) has contributed to pollination and honey bee research for over 30 years; since 1976 it has supported one of the largest sustained funding efforts of any non-government organization. Early work led by Dr. Robbin Thorp (UC Davis, retired) and Gerald Loper (USDA Carl Hayden Lab, Tucson, retired) refined guidelines for the strength and number of hives needed for sufficient almond pollination. Over time, threats to honey bee health, including the Varroa mite and more recently factors associated with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), have emerged and the almond industry-funded program has responded. <more> Jan. 13, 2009 Western Farm Press
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