Fresno, Calif.-based precision pollination agtech company BeeHero has launched its latest pollination tool, Pollination Insight Platform.
The PIP is an in-field pollination sensor that measures activity in crops to improve pollination and increase yields, according to a news release.
BeeHero says PIP uses its patented in-hive sensors, which provide valuable in-field sensing capabilities for a variety of seed, row and specialty crops. These new tools empower growers to make real-time, data-backed decisions, according to the release. The new technology builds on and will also contribute to BeeHero’s dataset of bee behavior, the largest such database in the world, fueled by 200,000 BeeHero-managed hives, the release said.
“Bee pollination serves as the bedrock of modern agriculture and future food supply, and yet it has historically been a black box. We are committed to expanding transparency for beekeepers and growers by enabling them to leverage unprecedented data, not only within the hive but now, beyond it,” Omer Davidi, BeeHero’s co-founder and CEO, said in the release.
Powerful pollinators
About 75% of major food crops rely on pollinators, the most important one being bees, according to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Ensuring that these crops are pollinated effectively is crucial for sustainable agriculture and the future of the global food supply.
The success of pollination and crop yield heavily relies on the number of bee visits to required crop flowers. By understanding the rate at which bees visit those crops, growers can gauge pollination and identify potential issues, allowing growers to make adjustments and changes.
BeeHero says its in-field sensors measure bee activity, including bee visits to flowers and environmental conditions. Leveraging artificial intelligence-powered analytics, the data — which was previously collected manually — can be transformed into actionable insights that support real-time decisions by growers to significantly improve crop yield. The activity reported by the sensors is accessible through a mobile device that can help growers keep track of dates, hive placements and pollination strength, the release said.
“This new platform empowers growers with crucial knowledge about the actual bee activity in the field — with huge positive implications for seed, row and other crops,” Davidi said. “We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible, driven by our innovative spirit and unparalleled bioresearch team, to serve growers and beekeepers across the globe.”
Designing the precision pollination tool
Hazera, a global vegetable seeds company and Limagrain subsidiary, partnered with BeeHero on the PIP’s design. BeeHero and Hazera underwent a three-year research project, which resulted in a commercial deployment of the precision pollination platform in the U.S., Europe and Israel, according to the release.
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“Together, we are enabling growers to assess pollination activity at all times, something that was previously not possible,” Avi Gabai, Hazera production research manager, said in the release. “The introduction of this in-field sensing solution marks a significant milestone in the agricultural industry’s ongoing efforts to address the challenges posed by declining bee populations. BeeHero’s expertise in precision pollination, coupled with our extensive knowledge in seed breeding, development, and production, makes this collaboration a powerful force in revolutionizing crop pollination practices, paving the way for a more sustainable and productive future for growers worldwide.”
