Initiatives in the Philippines to Optimize Pollination Services
In this talk, I am going to discuss research and extension activities by the UPLB Bee Program to promote pollination services, especially by native bee species, as viable way of increasing yield of crops. I will start by telling the story how the UPLB Biomathematics team became involved in the activities of the UPLB Bee Program, and give examples of interdisciplinary researches that we have done, specifically on the study of plant-pollinator interaction, foraging behavior of stingless bees, and disease transmission. Then I will present our current initiatives, such as addressing the effect of pesticides, and investigating the bioeconomics of domesticated bee colonies especially during catastrophes.