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- A startup is trying to use data generated by bees to unlock biodiversity secrets.
- The pollen collected by bees is analysed using a tool that makes use of artificial intelligence.
- The tool is being piloted in George.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
Worker bees are interning as data entry clerks on hops farms in the foothills of the Outeniqua mountain range in George. And by the sounds of it, they deserve a promotion.
The bees have been deployed as part of a pilot project launched by Belgian startup BeeOdiversity, in partnership with JSE-listed brewery giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev).
Every grain of pollen collected by the bees provides valuable insight into the biodiversity of the surrounding area. This information can be used to inform conservation and farming decisions.
The bees are like "natural drones," which collect pollen that contains all the DNA of plants in the areas surrounding their hive, explained BeeOdiversity founder Dr Bach Nguyen in a video posted by the 100+ Accelerator that helped set up the pilot project.
The 100+ Accelerator was founded by AB InBev in 2018 to provide seed funding for startups.
To collect the pollen from the bees, a grate is installed on the entrance to the beehive. When the bees squeeze through the hole, they leave a little bit of pollen behind, which is collected.
Nguyen said that a 50 000-strong bee colony can generate 4 billion pollen data points in a year. He said that bees cover large distances and are more effective than any existing technology at data collection.
Once collected, the pollen is analysed, using an artificial intelligence tool, and checked for 500 pesticides and heavy metals. DNA analysis is also undertaken, which allows scientists to pick up every plant that is the environment that the bees operate in.
This data can be used to form a coherent environmental plan that is tailored to the area where the data has been collected.
Pilot
The introduction of the BeeOdiversity hives is the latest initiative in a decade-long restoration plan in the Outeniqua area, explained Alyssa Jooste, the Africa sustainability manager of water stewardship and smart agriculture at AB InBev.
The Outeniqua region is particularly drought- and fire-prone, explained Jooste. SA Breweries, which is a subsidiary of AB InBev, also has a hops farm in the region which is strategically important as the George area is the only suitable location on the continent for growing hops, she said.
She said that there are a number of stakeholders involved with conservation in the area, including the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa.
Through clearing invasive species, the collaborative water project is roughly estimated to have conserved 9 billion litres of water in the Outeniqua area between 2014 and 2020, said Jooste.
The BeeOdiversity partnership was started at the beginning of this year to provide a scientific basis for the conservation effort.
Jooste said the hope is that the initiative will provide new insight into how quickly natural vegetation returns to areas where invasive species have been removed and will provide some insight on the impact of their chemical spraying regimes.
"Some of the results we have already seen - it’s very clear. When you remove what is non-native, biodiversity restores itself."
She said that the results should be analysed by the start of next year and that the company is committed to sharing the data.
