In the mid-2000s, the widespread dying of honeybees began across the country and beekeepers first noticed large losses in colonies.
Commercial agriculture depends on bees, as they are responsible for approximately one third of the food we eat. Alongside fruit and vegetables, bees also pollinate oilseeds, such as cereal, soybean, canola and cotton. Without honeybees, entire harvests of fruits, vegetables and nuts would fail. With the bee mortality increasing yearly, the ecosystem is at stake. But what exactly causes this endangerment, and can it be prevented?
The death of bees can be caused by various factors such as parasites, pathogens and pesticides. A groundbreaking computer sensing nose, using space technology, could offer an effective solution. In December 2012, the E-Nose – an artificial nose – was used on the ISS (International Space Station) to measure microbial contamination on surfaces. In closed systems such as the ISS, special environmental conditions prevail, leading to increased microbiological growth of bacteria and fungi, which attack the surface of materials. To ensure the shelf life of the material on board the ISS, the E-Nose was developed to measure and analyse microorganisms in the air and detect infestation.
The ESA Technology Broker in Germany, EurA AG, is active in its technology transfer activities in focused industries, such as agriculture. In this context, the German company LANZ investigated the possibility of decreasing bee mortality through the transfer of the E-Nose space technology. EurA AG initiated contact between Airbus, DLR and LANZ, and accelerated the transfer via ESA Spark Funding.
Credit: LANZ GmbH
The E-Nose technology will help provide real-time monitoring and allow an early response to prevent the spread of diseases in bee colonies. The integrated gas sensor tracks the concentration of specific components in the air and detects chemicals such as pesticides, mould, parasites and pathogens. This will lead to higher productivity and more efficient use of resources, which in turn will result in cost savings and higher profits. The E-Nose technology aims to reduce the usage of pesticides and therefore contribute to nature protection and biodiversity. LANZ supports several sustainable development goals, especially SDG 2 (zero hunger – end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
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