Project Number: 6413-21000-010-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2003
End Date: Sep 30, 2008

Objective:
Breed, evaluate and develop Russian honey bees having useful economic traits. Advance the understandings of the mechanisms and associated genetic variance in Russian and other honey bees which underlie useful economic traits in honey bees, such as resistance to Varroa destructor and to Acarapis woodi, honey production, and survival in harsh climates, with the goal of developing improved methods to select stocks of honey bees. Advance the understanding of genetic variance which underlies the variance in honey bee pollination abilities with the goal of producing honey bee stocks improved in their value as pollinators. Develop marker-assisted breeding and stock identification tools and exploit the potential of the sequenced honey bee genome.

Approach:
Using a unit designed breeding procedure we will continue to breed Russian honey bee stock for increased mite resistance, honey production, and winter survival. Russian and other stock will be studied to identify specific mechanisms of resistance to parasitic mites and small hive beetle and to find traits that are associated with enhanced pollinator quality. Using Quantitative Trait Loci analysis in association with knowledge provided by the sequencing of the honey bee genome, genetic molecular analysis will be used to identify specific genes having important economic impact on honey bee phenotype, strategies to employ these genes in marker assisted breeding will be developed