Subject: Varroa; honey bee; SMR (suppressed mite reproduction); breeding; selection; resistance
Year: 2020
Type: Journal Article
Title: Evaluation of Suppressed Mite Reproduction (SMR) Reveals Potential for Varroa Resistance in European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)
Author: Mondet, Fanny
Author: Parejo, Melanie
Author: Meixner, Marina D
Author: Costa, Cecilia
Author: Kryger, Per
Author: Andonov, Sreten
Author: Servin, Bertrand
Author: Basso, Benjamin
Author: Bieńkowska, Małgorzata
Author: Bigio, Gianluigi
Author: Căuia, Eliza
Author: Cebotari, Valentina
Author: Dahle, Bjorn
Author: Dražić, Marica Maja
Author: Hatjina, Fani
Author: Kovačić, Marin
Author: Kretavicius, Justinas
Author: Lima, Ana S
Author: Panasiuk, Beata
Author: Pinto, M Alice
Author: Uzunov, Aleksandar
Author: Wilde, Jerzy
Author: Büchler, Ralph
Abstract: In the fight against the Varroa destructor mite, selective breeding of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations that are resistant to the parasitic mite stands as a sustainable solution. Selection initiatives indicate that using the suppressed mite reproduction (SMR) trait as a selection criterion is a suitable tool to breed such resistant bee populations. We conducted a large European experiment to evaluate the SMR trait in different populations of honey bees spread over 13 different countries, and representing different honey bee genotypes with their local mite parasites. The first goal was to standardize and validate the SMR evaluation method, and then to compare the SMR trait between the different populations. Simulation results indicate that it is necessary to examine at least 35 single-infested cells to reliably estimate the SMR score of any given colony. Several colonies from our dataset display high SMR scores indicating that this trait is present within the European honey bee populations. The trait is highly variable between colonies and some countries, but no major differences could be identified between countries for a given genotype, or between genotypes in different countries. This study shows the potential to increase selective breeding efforts of V. destructor resistant populations.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Relation: Insects
Identifier: oai:repository.ukim.mk:20.500.12188/28882
Identifier: 2075-4450
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12188/28882Identifier: 10.3390/insects11090595
Identifier: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/9/595/pdfIdentifier: 11
Identifier: 9
