The potential for modern animal breeding to transform Australia’s honey bee industry was the impetus for the national honey bee genetic improvement program, known as Plan Bee, a collaborative research program focused on identifying and selecting traits of importance to beekeepers and horticulture and broadacre cropping.

The newest edition, a significant update on the first, includes three sections focusing on:

1. General principles of modern breeding
2. Data recording
3. Trait dictionary and trait evaluation methods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some helpful prompts that guide breeding objective planning:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated suggestions now including Varroa in the timings of data collection too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The data recording chapter also provides an updated excel link to the Plan Bee Data recording Spreadsheet

 

An improved trait dictionary with explanations on EBV’s and a few informative trait score suggestions too.

 

Image taken from of the Plan Bee Publication