Plan Bee: The National Honeybee Genetic Improvement Program

Research overview

The National Honeybee Genetic Improvement Program is developing the world’s first honey bee genetic evaluation system.

A collaborative initiative between major research organisations (NSW DPI, University of Sydney), industry (Better Bee WA, Wheen Bee Foundation) and the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), the program seeks to bring all the major contributors together to create an international best practice genetic program.

Using innovative breeding technologies, the program aims to secure Australia’s honeybee population and transform their performance. The program focuses on identifying and selecting traits of importance to beekeeping, across horticulture and broadacre industries dependent on pollination services, in order to develop a national database to assist beekeepers choose their breeding stock according to these traits.

Plan Bee resources

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national challenges and opportunities

Fact sheet: What is Plan Bee?

This resource breaks down the goals of the national program, which is designed to boost the quality of Australia’s honey bee stocks through genetic improvement.

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honey bee pollination

Plan Bee Breeding Manual

This manual has been developed in consultation with industry through surveys, interviews,
and workshops.

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honey bee pollination

Plan Bee Breeding Manual: Getting started with genetic selection

This guide has been produced to help queen breeders define their breeding objectives, record bee data, evaluate their colonies and share data with the Plan Bee Project Team.

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honey bee pollination

2021 Plan Bee Survey

A 2021 survey of 109 Australian beekeepers was conducted to determine beekeeper attitudes and opinions surrounding genetic improvement of honey bees in Australia. The study asked beekeepers about their queen replacement strategies, what colony traits are most important to them and their perception of Plan Bee and genetic improvement.

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Latest news & events

Australian agrifood industry set to benefit from extension of honey bee genetic program

Australia will continue to be home to a national honey bee genetic improvement program until at least April 2024, with Plan Bee announcing it has been extended for another year.

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Plan Bee racks up the miles as it meets with queen breeders across Australia

Key researchers have been on the road to meet beekeepers and queen breeders across the country including Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia.

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Plan Bee plans for pollination – with your support

The Plan Bee research apiary at Tocal College in Paterson, NSW is fully operational thanks to the partnership of several beekeepers and breeders across the country and the entire industry is set to reap the benefits.

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Plan Bee flies south

Earlier this month a Plan Bee team headed to Tasmania, to meet with various breeders and beekeepers to collect samples and to chat about the potential impact of genetic improvement.

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National program to offer free genetic testing to all Australian bee breeders

Key information provided will include how closely related an individual hive is to others and more importantly, whether stock is showing any signs of inbreeding.

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Best in the West: Improving the genetics of WA bee stock

With good breeding stock maintained in the state for over forty years, the region is a critical part of the success of Australia’s national genetic improvement program – Plan Bee.

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A look into the sex-determining gene in Australian honeybees

Tracking diversity over time will alert us to inbreeding in the population and allow us to better manage the breeding population to ensure that csd alleles are retained.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the aim of the National Honeybee Genetic Improvement Program?

The National Honeybee Genetic Improvement Program aims to deliver benefits across multiple industries by creating a more profitable and sustainable beekeeping industry, improving crop pollination efficiency, and enabling industry expansion through enhanced pollination security.

The Program is being administered by AgriFutures Australia and is being delivered under the National Challenges and Opportunities focus area, as set out in the Strategic Plan 2022-2027.

Who is involved in the Program?

Queen breeders, producers, beekeepers and growers across the country are collaborating with research teams funded by AgriFutures Australia to create a sustainable national honey bee genetic improvement program, using innovative breeding technologies to transform the performance of honey bees in Australia.

It will focus simultaneously on traits of importance to beekeepers, and of the horticulture and broadacre industries dependent on honey bee pollination.