Stingless bees can increase crop yields by 29%, shows Nagaland University research
Dr Chauhan further stated that this technique is meant to fill the gap of pollination in crops, especially where honeybee use is restricted.He emphasised the need to preserve other pollinators like Apis dorsata, Apis florea, halictid and syrphid bees.
Honey being extracted from stingless bees as part of a study conducted by Nagaland University
advertisement"The last 7 to 10 years of research gave us strong results. We not only had more crop yields, but the honey from these bees also generated extra income," Dr Chauhan added."We're working on improving beekeeping practices and promoting awareness regarding the conservation of wild pollinators," he added.The crops on which the research was carried out are cucumber, watermelon, citrus, tomato, brinjal, and dragon fruit.Scientists isolated and duplicated stingless bee colonies from forest areas native to them into scientific hives and then these hives were planted in open fields as well as greenhouses.
ABOUT STINGLESS BEESStingless bees are widespread in the North East, South and Eastern parts of India. Scientific domestication of stingless bees has been done in Nagaland and subsequently extended to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.This research is an important step towards sustainable agriculture and conservation of pollinators. Future research will further explore the pharmaceutical value of stingless bee honey and examine other lesser-researched crops like passion fruit and chow chow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
NU research team explores tribal perceptions of climate change in Nagaland
Dimapur: A research team from Nagaland University, Lumai, is currently undertaking an important field-based study on tribal perceptions of climate change under a research project funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong. The project, led by project investigator Ashutosh Tripathi, assistant professor and co- project investigator Prof Ashutosh Tripathi, both from the department of environmental science, aims to explore how indigenous communities in Nagaland perceive and respond to the changing climate. Accompanied by research assistant Sediba K Sangtam, Tripathi conducted field visits to several villages across Tuli, Mokokchung, Akulato, Chare, and Kohima during May-July. The team engaged with tribal communities, including the Ao, Sangtam, Chang and Sumi groups, through focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The interactions sought to uncover community-driven observations of environmental shifts and traditional adaptive strategies rooted in indigenous knowledge systems. The study is expected to contribute significantly to region-specific climate research and provide valuable insights into sustainable community-based adaptation strategies that can complement future scientific interventions.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Nagaland University leads research to assess high-altitude lake stability in Sikkim, Arunachal
1 2 Guwahati: A research initiative led by Nagaland University (NU) is creating a detailed, near-accurate inventory and stability analysis of high-altitude lakes in the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas. NU on Monday said the study will evaluate Tenbawa Lake's potential for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) and Holocene Climate connections, which began roughly 11,700 years ago, in Sikkim, alongside two glacial lakes in Arunachal Pradesh. The researchers said drone mapping and bathymetry surveys of the glaciers and glacial lakes would help produce a near-accurate database for modelling possible related disasters. This is crucial for robust development along the reaches of the streams emanating from these glaciers and lakes, and the river downstream. An NU spokesperson said, "Palaeo-studies aim to infer the extent of climate change in the geological past, helping to understand the current debate between human-induced and natural climate variability. " The scientific team aims to locate 'Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes' using advanced data and study the geomorphology, permafrost conditions, and slope instability in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang region and North Sikkim's Lachung basin through separate research endeavours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The risk from sudden lake outbursts will be quantified through bathymetric surveys and 2D/3D flood modelling from select lakes in the Tawang region. Bathymetric surveys are specialised hydrographic surveys that map the depths and shapes of underwater terrain. The process provides detailed information about the underwater topography of a water body. The study aims to assess environmental risks, knowledge limitations, and ecosystem services associated with high-altitude lakes under current climate change conditions, while evaluating stored freshwater resources. "The results of this investigation/research will be shared with policymakers, planners, and developers for holistic development along the banks of the streams and rivers to mitigate the impact of devastation on account of a 'Glacial Lake Outburst Flood' event, thus saving the post-disaster haphazard rescues, insurances, and rebuilding of structures," said an NU spokesperson on Monday. The Union govt, through its ministry of earth sciences and ministry of environment, forest and climate change, has funded this initiative. Manasi Debnath from NU leads the project as principal investigator. Prof Jagadish K Patnaik, vice-chancellor of NU, said: "Nagaland University takes great pride in leading a critical research initiative aimed at developing a detailed and near-accurate inventory and stability assessment of high-altitude lakes in the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas. This multidisciplinary project focuses on understanding the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) potential of Tenbawa Lake and its linkages to Holocene Climate variations. " He further added: "Such scientific efforts are vital in addressing the increasing environmental vulnerabilities in the eastern Himalayas, enhancing our preparedness for natural hazards, and deepening our understanding of past climate dynamics. This project is a testament to Nagaland University's commitment to advancing frontier research for societal and ecological resilience in the Northeast region and beyond. " Manasi Debnath explained that her team is working to create a precise inventory of glacial lakes in the Eastern Himalaya (North Sikkim and Arunachal Himalaya) and evaluate the dangerous lakes in terms of breach potential and volume of discharge. "These would be carried out using high spatial resolution satellite images, and necessary field validation and measurement for the potential lakes," said Debnath. She added: "We propose to assess the glacial lakes of Arunachal and Sikkim, which have not been studied in detail for breach characteristics and area being impacted due to inundation at the time of GLOF, the length and reaches affected. Since the assessment of the Arunachal glacial lakes is at the headwaters of the Brahmaputra, any lake breach can be devastating in terms of the length of reach. In Sikkim, the ecological impacts under such circumstances are also being studied at the Lachung sub-basin level. Palaeo-hazard analysis at the Lachung sub-basin in the Sikkim Himalaya aids in comparing past and present GLOF frequencies at the basin scale."
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Hans India
Training programme held for farmers
Kurnool: Crop diversification in agriculture is the need of the hour. A training programme was organised at KVK Banavasi for farmers of Kurnool district. The programme was organised under the 'Mandatory Capacity Building for Extension of Pilot Project on Crop Diversification on Integrated Farming System.' It was funded by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, AICRP. Dr Tejeswara Rao, Co-Principal Investigator of the project informed that crop diversification in agriculture involves growing different types of crops to increase agricultural resilience to climate change, improve soil health, reduce losses and increase income, often shifting from monoculture to crop mix and adopting integrated farming systems. Dr K Raghavendra Chowdhury, Programme Coordinator, in his address, stressed the need for soybean and bajra cultivation to increase soil fertility and farmer profitability. Dr P Sujathamma, Principal Scientist and Coordinator, DAATTC, Kurnool, explained about value addition for improved agricultural systems. Value addition in agricultural systems means converting raw agricultural products into complete or semi-finished goods, increasing their economic value, benefiting farmers through higher incomes and creating employment opportunities.
