DIVERSITY OF ADAPTATION, AGRONOMIC POTENTIAL AND FRUIT QUALITY OF LONICERA CAERULEA L.

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a novel perennial fruit crop with northern climatic adaptation. Its extreme winter hardiness, early-season fruiting, high antioxidant content and unique flavour profiles have brought it attention as a niche-crop. Breeding for temperate regions that are suited to large-scale horticultural production is relatively recent. Barriers to large-scale commercial production include a low chilling requirement, resulting in early bud break, winter damage and poor pollination in temperate climates; modest yields, irregular fruit shapes and agronomic traits that limit harvestability and marketability; and a low sugar to acid ratio with questionable claims of potential human health benefits due to widely varying reports of antioxidant activity. With the long-term objective of expanding the commercial potential of the crop, germplasm evaluation in a major fruit production region, the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, assessed phenological adaptation to a temperate climate, fruit morphological traits associated with agronomic potential and fruit biochemical characteristics related to fruit quality and nutritional content. Direct comparison of phenology and biochemistry to three globally important commercial crops, highbush blueberry, red raspberry and June-bearing strawberry, were conducted over two years with biological replication across multiples sites. Genetic diversity was characterized between three foundation germplasm groups, and the potential to make genetic progress was assessed in three improved groups. Physiological and genetic complexity was elucidated for economically important phenotypic responses to the target environment through comparison of improved germplasm with their parental foundation genotypes. This work demonstrates that there is sufficient variation in phenology to permit crop adaptation to a temperate climate, which will make it possible to broaden the range of the crop into major fruit production regions. It shows that diversity in fruit morphological features can be used to breed for large-scale commercial agronomic potential. It characterizes fruit biochemical diversity, signifying commercially marketable fruit quality paired with high nutritional content related to potential human health benefits. This fundamental information on crop genetic resources and the genetic control of important traits will inform breeding strategies that will transform blue honeysuckle from a niche to commercial crop

Does hive strength predispose honey bees to European foulbrood disease?

BC Blueberries, Project Apis m., Boehringer Ingelheim, Mitacs, Costco Wholesale, Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund, Agriculture Funding Consortium, Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development CommissionEuropean Foulbrood (EFB) is a bacterial disease of young honey bee larvae, caused by Melissococcus plutonius infection of the larval midgut. It occurs in times of nutritional stress when insufficient food is supplied to the larvae by the nursing bee population. EFB increases larval mortality, thereby limiting the colony’s growth, which can have consequences on the hive’s pollination services, honey production, and ability to reproduce. Recently, increased incidence of EFB has been observed across North America; however, the underlaying factors predisposing colonies to EFB remain largely unknown

Table_1_Are fungicides a driver of European foulbrood disease in honey bee colonies pollinating blueberries?.XLSX

IntroductionBlueberry producers in Canada depend heavily on pollination services provided by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Anecdotal reports indicate an increased incidence of European foulbrood (EFB), a bacterial disease caused by Melissococcus plutonius, is compromising pollination services and colony health. Fungicidal products are commonly used in blueberry production to prevent fungal diseases such as anthracnose and botrytis fruit rot. Pesticide exposure has been implicated in honey bee immunosuppression; however, the effects of commercial fungicidal products, commonly used during blueberry pollination, on honey bee larval susceptibility to EFB have not been investigated.MethodsUsing an in vitro infection model of EFB, we infected first instar honey bee larvae with M. plutonius 2019 BC1, a strain isolated from an EFB outbreak in British Columbia, Canada, and chronically exposed larvae to environmentally relevant concentrations of fungicide products over 6 days. Survival was monitored until pupation or eclosion.ResultsWe found that larvae chronically exposed to one, two, or three fungicidal products [Supra® Captan 80WDG (Captan), low concentration of Kenja™ 400SC (Kenja), Luna® Tranquility (Luna), and/or Switch® 62.5 WG (Switch)], did not significantly reduce survival from EFB relative to infected controls. When larvae were exposed to four fungicide products concurrently, we observed a significant 24.2% decrease in survival from M. plutonius infection (p = 0.0038). Similarly, higher concentrations of Kenja significantly reduced larval survival by 24.7–33.0% from EFB (p DiscussionThese in vitro results suggest that fungicides may contribute to larval susceptibility and response to M. plutonius infections. Further testing of other pesticide combinations is warranted as well as continued surveillance of pesticide residues in blueberry-pollinating colonies.</p

Image_1_Are fungicides a driver of European foulbrood disease in honey bee colonies pollinating blueberries?.JPEG

IntroductionBlueberry producers in Canada depend heavily on pollination services provided by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Anecdotal reports indicate an increased incidence of European foulbrood (EFB), a bacterial disease caused by Melissococcus plutonius, is compromising pollination services and colony health. Fungicidal products are commonly used in blueberry production to prevent fungal diseases such as anthracnose and botrytis fruit rot. Pesticide exposure has been implicated in honey bee immunosuppression; however, the effects of commercial fungicidal products, commonly used during blueberry pollination, on honey bee larval susceptibility to EFB have not been investigated.MethodsUsing an in vitro infection model of EFB, we infected first instar honey bee larvae with M. plutonius 2019 BC1, a strain isolated from an EFB outbreak in British Columbia, Canada, and chronically exposed larvae to environmentally relevant concentrations of fungicide products over 6 days. Survival was monitored until pupation or eclosion.ResultsWe found that larvae chronically exposed to one, two, or three fungicidal products [Supra® Captan 80WDG (Captan), low concentration of Kenja™ 400SC (Kenja), Luna® Tranquility (Luna), and/or Switch® 62.5 WG (Switch)], did not significantly reduce survival from EFB relative to infected controls. When larvae were exposed to four fungicide products concurrently, we observed a significant 24.2% decrease in survival from M. plutonius infection (p = 0.0038). Similarly, higher concentrations of Kenja significantly reduced larval survival by 24.7–33.0% from EFB (p DiscussionThese in vitro results suggest that fungicides may contribute to larval susceptibility and response to M. plutonius infections. Further testing of other pesticide combinations is warranted as well as continued surveillance of pesticide residues in blueberry-pollinating colonies.</p

Image_2_Are fungicides a driver of European foulbrood disease in honey bee colonies pollinating blueberries?.TIF

IntroductionBlueberry producers in Canada depend heavily on pollination services provided by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Anecdotal reports indicate an increased incidence of European foulbrood (EFB), a bacterial disease caused by Melissococcus plutonius, is compromising pollination services and colony health. Fungicidal products are commonly used in blueberry production to prevent fungal diseases such as anthracnose and botrytis fruit rot. Pesticide exposure has been implicated in honey bee immunosuppression; however, the effects of commercial fungicidal products, commonly used during blueberry pollination, on honey bee larval susceptibility to EFB have not been investigated.MethodsUsing an in vitro infection model of EFB, we infected first instar honey bee larvae with M. plutonius 2019 BC1, a strain isolated from an EFB outbreak in British Columbia, Canada, and chronically exposed larvae to environmentally relevant concentrations of fungicide products over 6 days. Survival was monitored until pupation or eclosion.ResultsWe found that larvae chronically exposed to one, two, or three fungicidal products [Supra® Captan 80WDG (Captan), low concentration of Kenja™ 400SC (Kenja), Luna® Tranquility (Luna), and/or Switch® 62.5 WG (Switch)], did not significantly reduce survival from EFB relative to infected controls. When larvae were exposed to four fungicide products concurrently, we observed a significant 24.2% decrease in survival from M. plutonius infection (p = 0.0038). Similarly, higher concentrations of Kenja significantly reduced larval survival by 24.7–33.0% from EFB (p DiscussionThese in vitro results suggest that fungicides may contribute to larval susceptibility and response to M. plutonius infections. Further testing of other pesticide combinations is warranted as well as continued surveillance of pesticide residues in blueberry-pollinating colonies.</p