303 Selection criteria for improving honey production in Africanized honey bees.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using alternative traits measured in the queen as criteria for improving honey production. Preliminary results had shown that queen’s weight at emergence had a strong, positive genetic correlation with honey production. Weight at emergence was measured on 200 queens generated in vitro from 60 colonies. Genetic evaluations were carried out for 5 generations and the 60 queens with highest EBV for weight at emergence were selected to originate the next generation of queens. The drone information was considered unknown, because the queens were introduced to colonies and had regular mating flights. Colonies were kept at experimental stations that belongs to the Maringa State University and Federal Technological University of Paraná (Brazil). In the last generation of selection, 120 virgin queens, daughters of the 60 best queens from generation 5 were introduced to colonies in honey bee farms for a field test. Randomly picked virgin queens from local honey beekeepers were also introduced to other colonies as a control set. Queens from both selected and unselected sets were kept in the same environment and were potentially exposed to the same groups of drones. After the first honey crop, the honey production in the colonies with selected queens was, on average, 40% higher than with unselected queens. Therefore, the field test confirmed the potential of selecting queens based on emergence weight. Genetic correlation between this trait and morphometry of the queen’s reproductive system is currently under investigation. Adopting the in vitro production of queens and selecting for emergence weight is feasible for breeding programs aiming increasing honey production.