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HONEYBEE RESEARCH PROGRAMME
NARC, Islamabad
BACKGROUND
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Research in apiculture at federal level was initiated by PARC in July 1976 under a coordinated programme of "Honeybee Management" funded through PL-480 grant. After the termination of this programme, the project was transferred to the non-development budget of PARC as its core activity in 1987. A full-fledged Honeybee Research Institute was established with its own building, including laboratories, under another project funded by GTZ in 1989. The Institute was merged into the Institute of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (INRES) in August 2002 and renamed as Honeybee Research Programme (HBRP). The Honeybee Research Programme was disassociated from INRES on November 1, 2006 and merged into Institute of Plant & Environment Protection (IPEP). |
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Honeybee Research Programme has practically promoted beekeeping with Apis mellifera in the country. Several attempts were made for introduction of A. mellifera by various scientists from 1927 to 1976 but without any success. However, after 16 unsuccessful attempts, PARC took this challenging job and during 1977 imported some honeybee A. mellifera colonies as package bees from Australia. Out of these some were multiplied at research stations and few were given to progressive beekeepers associated with indigenous honeybee at that time. In this was PARC successed introducing this species and traditional beekeeping switched to beekeeping A. mellifera in Langstroth modern beehives and most of the beekeepers are now getting optimum results. |
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HBRP has practically promoted beekeeping with Apis mellifera in terms of colony management, queen breeding, honey extraction techniques, reduction in post-harvest losses, nutrition, pests and diseases and pollination of entomophilous crops, improving skills of beekeepers, wax recycling for wax foundation sheets through training to agricultural extension staff, beekeepers, universities, research institutes and technical training institutes. At present scenario, there are 300,000 colonies of this species and honey production increased tremendously. However, carrying capacity of floral source has potential of 10 times. This is the success story of PARC for the establishment of this species in the country. |
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Mission
Promotion of Advanced Beekeeping for Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods
GOAL
To develop honeybee management technology with the local hive bee (Apis cerana) and the European bee (Apis mellifera) and to improve their strains for development of apiculture on sound scientific lines.
Conservation of indigenous honeybees using on community-based approach for maintains of biodiversity and increasing farm productivity.
OBJECTIVES
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ACTIVITIES 2006-07
Improvement of integrated honeybee management technology to increase honey yield per colony in the country
Intensive honeybee queen breeding
Capacity building and awareness raising for conserving indigenous honeybee species
Organize training courses for transfer of technology to the stakeholders for the improvement of the livelihood.
Control of pests and diseases using low cost indigenous material
Promotion of honeybee by-product technology and value added products
Strengthen and accreditation of honey analysis lab. at NARC
ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2006-07
Standardized royal jelly, pollen, propolis production techniques
Out of four sunflower varieties, S-278 was more preferred for pollination
Osmia spp. was reared and more than 6000 adults were released.
Established Apis cerana apiary at NWFP Agric. Uin. Peshawar for teaching and R&D purposes.
Produced 42 Quality queen for resistance against mites and diseases.
Increased the number of colonies from 24 to 42.
Organized national level workshop for progressive bee-keepers in IPM techniques for mite and disease control. (No. of participants=21).
Evaluated chemical and non-chemical control measures against honeybees’ parasitic mites.
Integrated quality queen introduction with Varroa screens, formic acid and thymol for effective management of parasitic mites.
Established laboratory for mite, pests and disease identification.
Identified two haplotypes of mites. Varroa destructor (Korean type) in Apis mellifera and Varroa destructor (Pakistan type) in Apis cerana.
Participated in International APIMONDIA Congress in Melbourne, Australia from September 9-14, 2007.
Four training course conducted and trained 135 persons
ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 1985-2006
Beekeeping emerged as cottage industry in Pakistan.
Exotic honeybee Apis mellifera established in Pakistan.
The introduced honeybee increased to about 300,000 colonies, at present in all the four provinces and AJK.
More than 1500 nectar and pollen sources identified.
About 7000 beekeepers, trained including women.
Per colony honey production increased form an average 4 kg in 1985 to 25 kg per colony in 2004.
Honey production in the country increased from 250 tonnes in 1985 to more than 7500 tonnes in 2004.
‘Sidder’ (‘ber’) honey, produced for export.
Rural women are successfully generating income from beekeeping.
A low cost comb foundation press developed.
Organized 22 national and 70 regional beekeeping training courses.
Provincial beekeeping units strengthened including AJK and Northern area.
Established Qaumi Idara-e-Nehliyat at Islamabad. Pak Beekeepers Societies in Sindh and NWFP.
SAARC beekeeping workshop organized at NARC during 1990.
ON-GOING PROJECTS:
1. Project Title: Strengthening of PARC Research
Program
Funding Source: ASPL-II Total Budget: Rs. 0.365 m
P.I.: Dr. Ghulam Jilani
Team Members: Dr. Waseem Ahmed Gillani
Dr. Elizabeth Stephen
Mr. M. S. Munawar
Objectives:
Technology for higher honey yield.
Studies on the use of honeybees for pollination of oil-seed, fodder-seed, vegetable-seed crops and temperate fruit trees to increase their yield.
Dissemination of modern beekeeping technology to beekeepers and other interested persons.
2. Project Title: Studies on IPM with Reduced Chemical Bee-keeping Approach to Avoid Related Treatment Resistance of Parasitic Mites, Honeybee Diseases and Pests
Funding Source: ALP Total Budget: Rs. 3.517 m
P.I.: Dr. Elizabeth Stephen
Team Members: Dr. Waseem A. Gillani,
Mr. M.S. Munawar, Mr. Rashid Mahmood,
Dr. S.J. Martin (Collaborating Scientist, UK),
Mrs. Farida Iftikhar, Dr. Shazia Raja
and Mr. Ghulam Sarwar
Objectives:
Identification of parasitic mite distribution and behavior.
To develop Reduced Chemical Beekeeping (RCB) management system.
Breeding of resistance honeybee colonies.
Assess the combination of (IPM) Integrated Pest Management control methods.
Train beekeepers / workers for the management of honeybee colonies with modern techniques to obtain maximum yield by exploiting the mite resistant vigor in the colonies. Standardize bee equipment.
Using the results of the above to devise an IPM Strategy for brood mite control. This information could be produced as a leaflet for distribution for beekeepers.
3. Project Title: Improvement in the production techniques of royal jelly, pollen, propolis, beeswax and their value added products for livelihood
Funding Source: RADP Total Budget: Rs. 3.152 m
P.I.: Dr. Waseem A. Gillani,
Team Members: Mrs. Farida Iftikhar,
Mr. M.S. Munawar,
Dr. Shazia Raja
Objectives:
To improve and standardize techniques for the production of royal jelly, pollen, propolis and beeswax
Transfer of technologies to the stakeholders to produce bee hive products and to prepare value added products from these by-products
4. Project Title: Production of Export Quality Honey and Establishment of Honey Analysis Laboratory for Promotion of Honey Export
Funding Source: RADP Total Budget: Rs. 13.313 Million
P.I.: Mrs. Farida Iftikhar
Team Members: Dr. Waseem A. Gillani
Objectives:
Training of beekeepers for integrated control of American foul brood disease, mites, pests, and use of modern methods for supplemental feeding to honeybees for production of honey free from antibiotics and pesticides residues and additional sucrose.
Establishment of honey analysis laboratory to meet the honey specification requirements of importers.
Determine level of insecticide and antibiotics residues through chemical analysis of honey collected from different areas.
TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED DURING 1985-2007
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FUTURE THRUSTS
Improvement of integrated honeybee management technology to increase hive products
Intensive honeybee queen breeding
Control of pests and diseases using low cost indigenous material
Promotion of honeybee by-product technology and value added products
Conservation and management of pollinators
Strengthen and accreditation of honey analysis Lab. at NARC
Capacity building and awareness raising for conserving indigenous honeybee species
Organize training courses for livelihood
COLLABORATION WITHIN NARC/PARC:
National Insect Museum, NARC (Identification of honeybee species and pollinators)
Oilseed Program, CSI, NARC (For pollination studies of oilseed crops)
HRI, Fruits Group, NARC (For pollination of fruit and vegetable crops)
WRRI, NARC (Satrameal Bahau Ku nursery being used as queen mating yard)
COLLABORATION WITHIN NARS:
NWFP Agriculture University, Peshawar (Collaborative partners in ICIMOD Project)
KARINA, Gilgit Sub-Station Sakardu (Collaborative partners in RADP project)
Arid Zone Research Institute, Bahawalur (Collaboration for establishment of honeybee apiary for research and development)
HUMAN RESOURCES
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Name/ Designation |
Expertise |
Present Assignment |
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Dr. Ghulam Jilani, PL |
IPM |
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Dr. Waseem Ahmed, SSO |
Entomology/ IPM |
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Dr. Elizabeth Stephen. SSO |
Honeybees’ mites & diseases |
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Mr. M.S. Munawar |
Entomology/ Pollination |
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Mr. Rashid Mahmood, SSO |
Entomology/ IPM |
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Mrs. Farida Iftikhar, SSO |
Bio-chemistry/ Molecular Biology |
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Mr. Ghulam Sarwar, SO |
Entomology |
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Dr. Shazia Raja, SO |
Entomology |
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Resource Person:
| Dr. Ghulam Jilani | CSO/ Programme Leader |
[Last updated: May, 2008]
