Please feel free to share and join our event on August 17th, 2023 at 6PM EST.

Event is free with registration required.

Registration link: https://sbgmi.org/product/bee-breeding-in-the-age-of-genomics-with-dr-garett-slater

Description:

Honey bees pollinate an average of $215 billion worth of crops worldwide each year. Despite high demand, record colony losses are prohibiting beekeepers from supplying their services to pollinator-dependent industries. Therefore, honey bee colonies require genetic improvements in growth; stress tolerance; pest, pathogen, and disease resistance; reproductive capacity; and yield. However, honey bee breeders have produced slow genetic gains in all these areas over the past century because traditional multi-trait breeding programs are time- consuming, expensive, and difficult to integrate into current beekeeping operations.
Beekeepers are still in the early stages of breeding (Step 1: Incidental) and need to enter Step 2 (Statistical Breeding) and Step 3 (Genomic Breeding) to enables breeders to accelerate the breeding cycle, and increase breeding progress. In this talk, Dr. Slater will talk about the stages of breeding and how beekeepers can enter Step 2 and 3.


About Dr. Slater:
Garett is a Postdoctoral Fellow for the USDA. He obtained his PhD from Purdue University in 2022, with a thesis focused on applying modern genetic tools to honey bee breeding. Previously, he completed a MS in Nutrition and Queen Quality at North Dakota State University. Garett’s current research focuses on developing genomic tools for beekeeping, including selecting for natural defenses towards Varroa, pathogens, and other diseases. He has worked as a scientist and technician with the Bee Informed Partnership at the University of Minnesota for two years, directly supporting 30 commercial beekeepers in North Dakota. Garett has 12 years of beekeeping experience, including 8 years working for a large commercial beekeeper in North Dakota.

This is a free event with donations optional. All proceeds go toward beekeeper education, future speaker events, and further development and outreach efforts of the SBGMI. This event will be recorded and available to subscribing SBGMI members following the presentation.

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