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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation |
This is the third issue of the new format of the R&D Newsletter.I am pleased to report that the new format has been very well received.
The Committee is also very pleased that all of the main industry Journals have been very supportive and have agreed to distribute the Newsletter with their circulation.We wish to thank them sincerely for their co-operation and support.We are now distributing over 3,000 copies.
We are also very pleased with the response we have had to the effort we have made to increase access to the research results through improved publications.Sales of publications last year increased by more than 700% over the previous years.We will again have a full range of publications available at all State conferences and have produced a new publications fl yer to facilitate this.
Finally I would like to note that the Committee tried a new activity during the year.We held what we called an R&D Meeting in April.This meeting was for all research groups working on honey R&D in Australia.We believe it was a very successful two days.Our hope is that this event will provide an environment which encourages research groups to work more closely together and in the longer term will result in better,more integrated and industry focused projects.AHBIC organised a meeting the following day on resource issues which enabled the research groups to stay on and develop closer links with industry.
I am pleased that I have
been appointed for a second term as Chair of the Committee.I would especially
like to encourage everyone to provide us with feedback on how they see
the program so that we can continue to improve it.
| Techniques
for the detection of adulterated honey
By W Korth et al New analytical techniques for the detection of adulterated honey based on isotope ratioing mass spectrometry needed to be developed for the detection of corn or cane sugar adulteration of honey.This report summarises the work undertaken by the National Residue Survey (NRS) to establish whether or not the isotope ratioing technique could be used to detect the adulteration of pure Australian honeys with synthetic honey (based on C4 plant sugars)and if so,at what level. 2002,16
pp,Pub.No.02/047 $10
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Breeding
hygienic disease resistant bees
By K Wilkes et al Presents an accurate determination of the number, location within the genome and relative level of infl uence of loci that directly infl uence hygienic behaviour in Apis mellifera.This not only provides a deeper genetic understanding of complex social behavioural traits in honeybees,but may also enable the development of molecular methods of identifi cation of hygienic stock, thus having direct commercial application for the Australian honey industry. 2002,35
pp,Pub.No.02/048 $10
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The
Use of Honeybees as a Transfer Vector for Core Rot in Apples
By C Archer When using inundative sprayers there is a signifi cant quantity of material that misses the blossom –the site of core rot infection -and is effectively wasted.Honeybees are able to transfer biocontrol material to blossom more effectively than spray application.Beehives are normally placed in apple orchards during the full bloom period for the purposes of pollination, providing an opportunity to use honeybees as a transfer vector for biological control material to the apple blossom. 2002,54 pp,Pub.No.02/046 $10 |
We have also developed a new publication flyer, which includes these new publications plus all past ones.This flyer has been distributed at all State Conferences. If you have not yet received one please contact Vicki Byrne or visit our web site at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/fullreports/hb.html.
The new Five Year Plan for the program has been finalised and was approved by AHBIC and then the RIRDC Board in May. It is currently being printed and should be readily available in time for the next funding round which begins in August.
We would like to thank everyone
who had an input to the plan.The Committee looks forward to working to
achieving the goals which industry has identifi ed.
Commercial beekeeping in Australia
As was indicated last year
Fred Benecke is undertaking a project which is updating the ‘Commercial
beekeeping in Australia ’ series which was produced about 10 years ago.This
is well underway and should be fi nalized by the end of this year.Fred
and Keith McIlvride will be meeting with Northern Territory Beekeepers
at the end of June to add this part of Australia to the series.Keith will
also take this chance to promote the program in the NT.
The Committee is continuing its policy of having as many members as possible attend each State Conference and provide an R&D report.Below is a list of the Committee members scheduled to make the presentation at each conference.
| NSW
VIC TAS QLD SA WA |
29,30,31
May
13,14 June 14,15 June 20,21 June 24,25 June 12,13 July |
Griffith
Bendigo Launceston Warwick Murray Bridge Perth |
Mike
Moncur
Des Cannon Des Cannon Mike Moncur Rosemary Doherty Keith McIlvride |
The following projects have
been approved by RIRDC for commencement in the 2002/2003 financial year:
| Drone honey bees – semen production (HBE02-01) | Mr John Rhodes | (02)6763 1206 |
| Evaluating alternative antibiotics for control of European Foulbrood disease (HBE02-05) | Mr Russell Goodman | (03)9210 9222 |
| Transmission of American Foulbrood (AFB)disease of honeybees through replacement of queen bees (HBE02-06) | Ms Patricia Greer | (07)3362 9684 |
| The effect of high and low fat pollens on honey bee longevity (HBE02-09) | Mr Rob Manning | (08)9368 3567 |
| The effect of logging on nectar production in NSW forests (HBE02-11) | Dr Brad Law | (02)9872 0162 |
| High power ultrasound for candied liquid honey liquefaction and controlled creamed honey crystallisation (HBE02-18) | Dr Bruce D ’Arcy | (07)5460 1384 |
Current R&D Advisory Committee
| Keith
McIlvride
Rosemary Doherty Michael Moncur Des Cannon Jeff Davis |
(02)
4681 8556
(02) 6372 1733 (02) 625f8 3388 (02) 6236 3294 (02) 6272 4152 |
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