Researchers at Nagaland University have made a major advancement in sustainable agriculture and pollination-based income generation by successfully identifying and researching stingless bee species that increase crop yields and quality while also producing therapeutic honey. The research, which was headed by Dr. Avinash Chauhan, Principal Investigator at the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Honeybees & Pollinators, under the Department of Entomology, School of Agricultural Sciences, suggests positive advancements for both farmers and beekeepers. 

Two stingless bee species, Lepidotrigona arcifera Cockerell and Tetragonula iridipennis Smith, are native to the area and have great potential for regulated pollination without the risk of stings, according to the study. In particular, their function in enhancing agricultural productivity via pollination was discovered to be very successful in greenhouse settings. “The research outcomes of the last seven to ten years provided stakeholders with numerous opportunities to rear stingless bees for quality honey production, without the concern of impurities or heavy bee losses,” said Dr. Chauhan. This improves the profitability of beekeeping in addition to encouraging pollination. 

Despite being less well-known than honeybees like Apis dorsata and Apis florea, stingless bees have shown to be effective and secure pollinators. The study shows that compared to crops that do not benefit from bee pollination, crops like chilli have a noticeable increase in yield and quality when these bees pollinate them. Because they flourish in restricted areas, stingless bees are ideal for greenhouses, where they can pollinate crops including tomatoes, king chilies, watermelons, ash gourds, pumpkins, brinjal, citrus fruits, and even exotic produce like dragon fruit. 

In future research, the team will concentrate on underutilized yet locally significant crops such passion fruit, Solanum species, and chow chow in addition to popular crops, Dr. Chauhan said. “We want to create pollination calendars for these crops and encourage the scientific cultivation of stingless bees,” he said. The aim is to not only boost productivity but also to protect the native biodiversity of pollinators, such as wild bees, halictid bees, syrphid flies, and Amegiella species, which are essential for complementing pollination in areas where it is lacking. 

The honey produced by these stingless bees, which is renowned for its therapeutic benefits, is one of the most promising aspects of this study. Due to their raising environment and stringent extraction practices, the honey produced by bees is less prone to contamination. In order to scientifically confirm the therapeutic benefit of this honey, the university’s team has started working on improving these extraction methods and intends to conduct thorough analysis and mellisopalynological investigations (the analysis of pollen content in honey). 

The research utilized stingless bee colonies collected using environmentally friendly techniques from forested and field regions before being scientifically multiplied to produce enough colonies for crop pollination under regulated circumstances. The study also included observing these bees on trees like mango, guava, rhus, gooseberry, and ber, documenting their behavior and pollination efficiency. 

The success of this study has a number of benefits, including increased agricultural output, more revenue from honey production, and protection of lesser-known but ecologically significant bee species, according to Dr. Chauhan. The project has also resulted in the publication of a number of peer-reviewed papers in journals such as the International Journal of Farm Sciences, laying a solid scientific basis for the results. 

In the future, the research team is dedicated to improving rearing methods and increasing knowledge about the necessity of pollinator protection. Additionally, they are looking for methods to integrate scientific beekeeping more widely into farming practices, thereby promoting the use of these low-risk, high-reward strategies in rural areas. This study provides a blueprint for integrating traditional knowledge, biodiversity, and science to build robust agricultural systems and economic prospects as climate change and biodiversity loss continue to pose challenges to global agriculture.