Dimapur, Nov. 25 (EMN): A team of three scientists from Western Sydney University in Australia visited Nagaland during November 21-24 as part of an Indo-Australian collaboration to study stingless bees. A press release from the School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development (SASRD) that was issued to the media on Monday gave details about the visit.
The team comprised Prof. Dr. Robert Spooner-Hart, Dr. James Makinson, and Dr. Amy-Marie Gilpin, all from the university, the updates stated.
“The purpose of their visit was to explore possibilities for further collaboration between the universities on student exchange programmes and to enhance the research on stingless bees in India with reference to pollination management under protected conditions, floral resource management and pollination in respect to fruits and vegetable crops as also conservation of pollinators,” the press release stated
The All India Coordinated Research Project on honey bees and pollinators of the SASRD at Medziphema in Dimapur hosted the team.
The group is said to have visited hotspots of stingless bees in Peren and Dimapur besides visiting the Central Institute of Horticulture, and the National Research Centre on Mithun, the updates stated.
According to the press release, the team expressed gratitude to Naga beekeepers for their commitment to rearing bees ‘down the ages, even if traditionally.’ Likewise, they lauded the effort to develop scientific stingless beekeeping in Nagaland, the organisers stated. They expressed hope that the collaboration will have much impact through in-depth studies and exchanges in the future, the updates stated.
