Developing Honeybee Breeding Industry to Revitalize Rural Economy

Zhaluo, Wenfeng WANG

1. Agricultural Research Institute, Tibet Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850032, China; 2. Tibet Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850032, China

Abstract [Objectives]In Tibet, the efficiency of beekeeping industry is low, the abundant nectariferous plants and the non-polluting natural ecological environment are not fully utilized, the pollination of rapeseed and other insect-based crops is insufficient, and benefits are not brought by beekeeping. [Methods]In response to these problems, Italian bees were first introduced since 2004, and combined with the special natural ecological environment of Tibet, researches on Italian bee biology, queen rearing technology, overwintering technology, and breeding management technology were carried out in high altitude areas. [Results]Through many years of effort, it has filled the gap in bee breeding technology at an altitude of about 4 000 m. [Conclusions]It is expected to provide a new pillar industry for Tibetan farmers and herdsmen to increase production and income.

Key words Tibet, Developing beekeeping industry, Protecting environment, Increasing income

1 Introduction

Tibet is vast and has a huge space for honeybee breeding[1]. Tibet has complex topography and different latitudes and altitudes. It has several zones with different climatic environments. Therefore, the diversity of climate types makes nectariferous plants very abundant[2]. However, in Tibet, the honeybee breeding starts late, the efficiency of honeybee breeding industry is low, the abundant honey-derived plants and the non-polluting natural ecological environment are not fully utilized, the pollination of rapeseed and other insect-based crops is insufficient, and benefits are not brought by honeybee breeding. In response to these problems, the project team first introduced Italian honeybees since 2004, and combined with the special natural ecological environment of Tibet, we studied Italian honeybee biology, queen rearing technology, overwintering technology, and breeding management technology in high altitude areas. Through many years of research, it has filled the gap in bee breeding technology at an altitude of about 4 000 m, improved Chinese honeybee breeding technology in Bomi County and Zayu County of Nyingchi City, provided a new pillar industry for Tibetan farmers and herdsmen to increase production and income.

TibetHoneybeeBreedingTechnologyResearchandDemonstrationPromotionwon the second prize of the 2013 Tibet Autonomous Region Science and Technology Award and the second prize of the 2011 National Science and Technology Commissioner Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. This achievement summarizes a set of practical techniques for developing honeybee breeding in high altitude areas above 3 500 m in Tibet. In addition, it has cooperated with relevant scientific research institutes in other regions of mainland China to carry out the improvement of Chinese honeybee protection and rearing technology, and solved the low output, poor quality, unstable honeybee colony and other problems of the original Chinese honeybee breeding technologies.

2 Progress

In order to develop and strengthen the Tibetan honeybee breeding industry, Tibet has carried out research and promotion of Western honeybee breeding technology, introduced and propagated more than 4 000 Western honeybee colonies; led beekeepers in Tibetan to visit and learn honeybee breeding technology 7 times outside Tibetan, a total of 34 person-times. We have trained more than 180 beekeepers, their average annual income has reached 10 000 yuan; trained more than 800 farmers and herdsmen on honeybee breeding knowledge, supported 3 honeybee product processing enterprises, and established 5 honeybee breeding cooperatives and their annual honey production is about 300 t. We have trained 23 local beekeeper leaders, and each beekeeper’s annual net income has exceeded 30 000 yuan, with a maximum of higher than 300 000 yuan. The development of the honeybee breeding industry has a prominent effect on vegetation protection and restoration, and cross-pollination, such as the increase in rapeseed yield in 2006 compared with 2005. This made great contribution to the yield and income increase of farmers and herdsmen in Tibet. It is necessary to implement honeybee breeding according to the honey sources. In recent two years, some some farmers and herdsmen have seen the direct economic benefits of honeybee breeding and get gradually willing to learn honeybee breeding technology. But in the past, they just drove away beekeepers (Table 1).

3 Conclusions

(i) Through the introduction and breeding of Western honey bees,the introduced Western honeybees, the Italian honeybees can adapt to the specific climate environment of Tibet and can normally survive the winter. (ii) We protected the wild Chinese honeybee resources in Tibet, improved the traditional Chinese honeybee rearing technology, and established the Chinese honeybee conservation area. (iii) Tibet has outstanding biodiversity, abundant nectariferous plants, and is fully capable of developing honeybee breeding industry. (iv) The annual honey output of each colony of Western honeybees reaches 50 kg, and the annual output of Chinese honeybees has increased from less than 5 kg to more than 15 kg. The output is considerably high. (v) Tibet is a pure and holy land. Nectariferous crops are basically pollution-free. The main cultivated nectariferous crop, rape, also basically uses no pesticides. Through testing by national authorities, the quality of all honeybee products has reached international standards[2]. (vi) The development of honeybee breeding industry can not only obtain honeybee products, but also increase the yield of cross-pollinated crops. (vii) The development of honeybee breeding plays an important role in restoring vegetation and improving the ecological environment. Pollination of many plants through honeybees can improve seed vitality and stress resistance, and pollination of crops by honeybees is an effective measure to increase crop yield[2]. (viii) The development of honeybee breeding does not compete with grain crops for land, fertilizer, or water, and does not pollute the environment[3], it is a highly efficient project. Through the great role of honeybees, it can not only protect the ecological environment, increase crop yield, but also increase the economic income of farmers and herdsmen. (ix) Based on our experience, we have initially established a route for the honeybee breeding in Tibet:Sophoraviciifoliahoney in Lhasa and Shannan in May-June, the honeybees are more than 6 000 colonies; rape honey in Lhasa and Shannan in June-July, the honeybees are more than 10 000 colonies; rape honey in Shigatse, Gyantse, and Bainang in July-August, the honeybees are more than 10 000 colonies;Medicagosativa(alfalfa),Astragalusstrictus,Astragaluspropinquushoney in Shannan, Shigatse, and Lhasa in September-October, or buckwheat honey in Chamdo and Shigatse, the honeybees are more than 4 000 colonies; live through the winter in Ningxia and other southeastern areas of Tibet and propagate or change to other places (Tibet-Yunnan-Sichuan-Gansu-Shannan) during November and the next May. (x) Tibet is abundant in willow trees, honeydew honey is prone to occur during drought, which leads to honeybee poisoning. Therefore, once honeydew honey occurs, it is necessary to immediately change to other places to prevent honeybee honeydew poisoning. (xi) Through years of research, demonstration and promotion, Tibet’s honeybee breeding industry has great prospects in terms of product quality, output and importance to the ecological environment.

Table 1 Comparison of the increase of rapeseed yield in western honeybee farms

ProductionareaTownshipNo honeybeebreeding in2005kg/haHoneybeebreeding in2006kg/haYieldincreaserate∥%Averageyieldincrease%DranangDrachi1 987.52 250.013.20NedongKerpa1 927.5 7 717.520.23Changzhu1 972.52 287.515.9616.42Tsetang1 897.52 100.010.67Lhasa Maizhokung-gar63978022.06

4 Existing problems and recommendations

4.1 Existing problems

4.1.1High difficulty in training. The beekeepers have great differences in the level of technology they master in the process of learning beekeeping techniques due to the large differences in their cultural level, understanding ability, practical ability, and the degree of diligence. Besides, many beekeepers do not understand the situation of honey sources in Tibet, or are unwilling to transfer to other places. They want to have a fixed-point farm, which will have a great impact on their income.

4.1.2High difficulty in transferring to other places. Many farmers and herdsmen in Tibet have little contact with honeybees and do not know much about them. In addition, honeybees are somewhat aggressive. The implementation of the honeybee breeding project in many places fails to be supported by local farmers and herdsmen. Beekeepers are often driven out, and even some township leaders do not know much about beekeeping, making beekeeping impossible in many areas. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen the propaganda, to make more farmers and herdsmen know the benefits of beekeeping.

4.1.3Impact of climate. The benefit of beekeeping is closely connected with the climate. The climatic conditions in Tibet are suitable for producing high-quality honeybee products, but there are some years when the special climate has a great impact on the beekeeping.

4.1.4Incomplete survey of honey source resources. Tibet has a vast territory, and the annual planting area and distribution of rape, buckwheat and other crops are different, and other sporadic honey sources have not been surveyed in a systematic and thorough manner, so many valuable honey sources are not fully utilized. In the future, it is recommended to further understand the situation of honey sources and make reasonable use of the abundant honey resources in Tibet.

4.1.5Enhancing propaganda. We have propagated the honeybee breedingBitingFliesin the program Light of Science on CCTV 7,SweetUndertakingandGettingRichwithoutForgettingBeekeepersin the program Tibet Science and Technology on Tibet TV station and various newspapers and magazines in and outside the region. In 2017, several representatives of Tibetan beekeepers participated in the Day Day Up program on Hunan TV station and produced a honeybee breeding promotion video. However, some people still do not accept honeybee breeding, so it is required to strengthen the promotion of honeybee knowledge.

4.2 RecommendationsAfter many years of implementation, we plan to use the previous honeybee breeding leaders and production bases as the point to expand the honeybee breeding scale, expand the honeybee breeding industry in Tibet, and form a new economy integrating production, processing and marketing, and to become a characteristic industry, and realize enterprise-type and brand-based development of Tibetan honeybee breeding and for a new industrial chain.

(i) The development of beekeepers: the honeybee breeding technology is complex and has a certain technical content, the development of beekeepers must have level of education and be hard-working, and are willing to participate in honeybee breeding technology training. In this way, it may develop other farmers and herdsmen to get rich together. (ii) Training and promotion of honeybee technology. (iii) The industrialized development of honeybee breeding: The honeybee breeding industry in Tibet has grown to a certain scale, gradually making Tibet’s honeybee breeding industry industrialized, cultivating capable enterprises and beekeepers to establish a cooperation model integrating honeybee breeding, reproduction, honeybee product production, packaging and sales, forming a leading enterprise and a characteristic industry in Tibet, so as to promote the farmers and herdsmen to get rich together and create a new economic growth point for Tibet. (iv) At present, many people in Tibet have little knowledge about honeybees. Therefore, it is recommended that the propaganda departments should publicize the benefits of honeybees, especially the agricultural and pastoral areas, in order to deepen people’s understanding of honeybees. (v) At present, the area of nectariferous crops planted in Tibet is small and scattered. It is recommended to increase the rape planting area and plant some nectariferous trees, such as locust trees. (vi) It is recommended that the government strengthen the policy support and take measures such as adjusting the planting structure to standardize the honeybee breeding area in Tibet and establish a pollution-free and green honeybee product brand in Tibet.