Chapters authored
Application of Environmental DNA: Honey Bee behavior and Ecosystems for Sustainable Beekeeping
Honey prices can vary widely depending on the production areas and/or the nectar plants, and quality control, therefore, is of great significance. Also, the identification of the nectar plants is one of the major concerns regardless of the purposes of beekeeping, namely, commercial, recreational, or for environmental education. In recent years, the scope for the application of eDNA technology has been expanding. We conducted an eDNA analysis of the 14 types of honey sold in supermarkets. The result showed that all of the honey samples contained DNA of several plants and revealed that there was no monofloral honey. In addition, there were cases where there was a discrepancy between the plants listed on the labels and the species whose DNA was the most prominent in the sample. DNA analysis of honey is considered to have the potential to enhance exponentially the understanding of the plant species that honeybees used as nectar plants and their proportions.
Part of the book: Modern Beekeeping