Pollen quality

[Curly green finger's]

Evening how could I test pollen samples for quality from 18 apiary sites.
This would be on the same day and possibly 5-10 types of pollen from different locations.
I’ll get to the why later but samples would have to be possibly frozen ?

Thanks
Cgf

 

[Wilco]

What do you mean by 'quality'?

 

[Murox]

Evening how could I test pollen samples for quality from 18 apiary sites.
This would be on the same day and possibly 5-10 types of pollen from different locations.
I’ll get to the why later but samples would have to be possibly frozen ?

Thanks
Cgf

I take it you are meaning protein, mineral, levels etc. Have a read of this

 

[Curly green finger's]

What do you mean by 'quality'?

Quality as in protein etc soil samples are going to be tested as well , one of my friends works for the soil association and he is going to help me - I’m trying to find out if pollen samples vary in quality at different apiary sites eg lowland arable / low impact farming methods on hills .
I’ll be using samples from all 18 apiary sites we have .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is that pollen quality per se or pollen quality in the same plant but from different sites?
From each hive or a sample or are you sampling plants?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is that pollen quality per se or pollen quality in the same plant but from different sites?
From each hive or a sample or are you sampling plants?

Samples will be taken from the bees/hives but will be the same species/variety of plant , tree ,flower at 18 sites .
We have already started with the soil samples .

I would of liked to also take samples of the air because I’m finding out that air quality also plays it’s roll in how the bees pick up sent .
If anyone has any useful information data could you share it with me pls.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is this just for curiosity or have you some application in mind? It’s going to cost the earth.
It sounds like something you could get a grant for

 

[Wilco]

I wonder if the RHS might be worth contacting for this. Pollen being needed for plants to reproduce successfully, if pollen quality is found to be lower this may have impacts for how well plants are fertilised. They may be interested or able to advise. I suspect if there's any difference it might be in the structure of the pollen (think of it as a twisted and folded chain) rather than necessarily the composition. As the bees will be digesting the pollen down to its constituent parts (amino acids) before using them to make new proteins, it may be that the bees are less affected than plants are by pollen quality, unless the structure is changed to the point that they collect less or cannot digest it.

Also feel free to DM me about sampling for some microbiome research which may be relevant here although this will likely be next year.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I wonder if the RHS might be worth contacting for this. Pollen being needed for plants to reproduce successfully, if pollen quality is found to be lower this may have impacts for how well plants are fertilised. They may be interested or able to advise. I suspect if there's any difference it might be in the structure of the pollen (think of it as a twisted and folded chain) rather than necessarily the composition. As the bees will be digesting the pollen down to its constituent parts (amino acids) before using them to make new proteins, it may be that the bees are less affected than plants are by pollen quality, unless the structure is changed to the point that they collect less or cannot digest it.

Also feel free to DM me about sampling for some microbiome research which may be relevant here although this will likely be next year.

thanks will for the advice , I’ll definitely message you .
As to contacting the RHS , I’m going to send them an email .

 

[rolande]

It's a fascinating idea, just the sort of minutiae that I love reading, but be warned, it's the kind of research which could end up being used to beat farmers and also become the kind of nuisance question which those with a little knowledge feel that they need to ask before buying a jar of honey. Did your bees forage on good quality pollen?

 

[Curly green finger's]

It's a fascinating idea, just the sort of minutiae that I love reading, but be warned, it's the kind of research which could end up being used to beat farmers and also become the kind of nuisance question which those with a little knowledge feel that they need to ask before buying a jar of honey. Did your bees forage on good quality pollen?

The idea has come from a recent environmental conference which was held at work , after talking to farmers and scientists it sparked the interest for me to find out about pollen quality and how it might effect insects/ bees in different areas . Combining soil samples and possible air pollution results.
I hear what your saying about what the results could be used for, after talking to farmers that grow and are developing seed varieties the comments were very positive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It sounds fascinating but taking a snapshot of your own hives will give you limited information. To see how the environment affects pollen quality and give you meaningful results you would have to have controls in place, sample various locations over a good number of years. Analysis is expensive and would have to be quality controlled.
The honey monitoring scheme has been in place for a number of years. Have they reported any interim analysis?

 

[Ian123]

There’s some bumper crops taken in London and indeed it’s suburbs, it doesn’t appear to be having a tremendous effect?

 

[Curly green finger's]

It sounds fascinating but taking a snapshot of your own hives will give you limited information. To see how the environment affects pollen quality and give you meaningful results you would have to have controls in place, sample various locations over a good number of years. Analysis is expensive and would have to be quality controlled.
The honey monitoring scheme has been in place for a number of years. Have they reported any interim analysis?

They are second on my list to contact the hms … my thoughts were also it would take years of analysis but short term 3-5 years .
Hopefully the hms can shed some light maybe.

 

[ericbeaumont]

pollen samples vary in quality

BBC had a report of Reading Uni research into pollen & air pollution; results showed reduced foraging success, so is unlikely to affect your rural pollen. Natural England have a piece called Bees' Needs: Why Air Pollution Matters to Pollinators and there's plenty of online research to trawl through. Info. on soil pollution & pollen is less prolific, but this will keep you busy.

 

[Curly green finger's]

BBC had a report of Reading Uni research into pollen & air pollution; results showed reduced foraging success, so is unlikely to affect your rural pollen. Natural England have a piece called Bees' Needs: Why Air Pollution Matters to Pollinators and there's plenty of online research to trawl through. Info. on soil pollution & pollen is less prolific, but this will keep you busy.

The last one will keep me busy Eric blimey! Thanks.
When you say rural I have apiary’s in lots of different settings .
The first link I have posted in a different thread with a link about pollution .

 

[sipa]

If you want to do proximate analysis then you could use Pharmaceutical Testing | Wickham Micro
More extensive testing will be costly.
I have used them extensively in the past, excelent labs and analysis. Not cheap, but worth it if you are serious.

 

[Curly green finger's]

If you want to do proximate analysis then you could use Pharmaceutical Testing | Wickham Micro
More extensive testing will be costly.
I have used them extensively in the past, excelent labs and analysis. Not cheap, but worth it if you are serious.

Thanks sipa I’ll have a look at that

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have a look at this either at the show or on the shows YouTube channel in due course
https://www.honeyshow.co.uk/lecture-convention.php#DS

 

[jarmo henttu]

Is that pollen quality per se or pollen quality in the same plant but from different sites?
From each hive or a sample or are you sampling plants?

Pollen protein analysis is huge expencive. That is why pollen information is so rare.