BVT confirms successful sunflower 2017 trial results
The trials were designed to evaluate the ability of the BVT system consisting of a bee hive with dispenser technology through which BVT’s proprietary plant beneficial microbe is delivered to crops, to manage sclerotinia head rot, an invasive fungal disease that causes high levels of loss in sunflowers and currently has no viable method of prevention. This was the second year of trials in sunflowers in collaboration with North Dakota State University, and the first year in which both BVT’s current bumble bee hive dispenser and the new honeybee hive dispenser were tested.
In replicated trials conducted at North Dakot a State University (NDSU) using bumblebees, the BVT system delivered a 47% reduction in incidence and a 20% reduction in the severity of sclerotinia head rot on average across three different observations. Similar level of reductions in disease were seen in the trials conducted in 2016. Yield differences could not be quantified this year due to collection issues during the harvest.
Additionally, a commercial demonstration with the new honeybee dispenser system was conducted on portions of a 200-acre field that is part of a large farming operation in the Munich, North Dakota area. There was generally low disease pressure in the field this year, but the crop in areas within the range of the flight of bees showed further disease suppression, and yield increases.
“The overall sclerotinia disease pressure was generally low this year but the BVT system showed good potential both from a disease control and yield perspective,” said grower, Craig Schommer. “Additional testing will be required under higher pressure to fully quantify the benefits. I look forward to working with NDSU and BVT in 2018 and would like to test on both confectionary and oil varieties.”
BVT CEO, Ashish Malik added, “We now have two years of excellent results in sunflowers, and were pleased with how well the prototype honeybee dispenser worked. Sunflowers are a lower value crop compared to strawberries and growers have very limited choices in battling disease in the crop since chemical sprays are not economically viable. We are excited about the tremendous opportunities that exist in commercial scalability using honeybees. With many more insects per hive, a single hive can cover greater acreage making this a n attractive economic fit for growers.”
Sunflowers is a significant crop in the US with close to 1.4 million planted acres. There are two distinct market segments: oil production and confectionary. The company estimates the total market opportunity for its technology to be around CAD $30 million annually in the crop.
For more information:
Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc.
T: (647) 660-5119
info@beevt.com
www.beevt.com