Hi all

Keith, replying to Peter, said...

> You want the same that most all beekeepers want. Extreme controlled
> breeding, such as I.I. or A.I., and letting the bees do their own thing
are
> polarized and probably neither are the best way to breed a stock that will
> give us the qualities we as beekeepers desire. The answer to breeding bees
> that beekeepers desire probably lays in the middle of the road but all
> beekeepers must work together to accomplish this.

I see no need for 'polarisation'... II is seen by many as an extreme
technique, but in reality is no different to putting a bull and a cow in a
single pen and allowing nature to take it's course (it is merely controlled
fertilisation). I do not say that it is not open to abuse, but it is a
useful tool and should be employed when needed.

The objective of any breeding program, no matter what methods are employed,
should be to produce a bee that is 'improved' in some respect over it's
predecessors. Such improvent should not be at the expense of any desirable
characteristics that were in the 'un-improved' stocks.

It is the implication that an 'improved' bee is deficient in some other ways
that brings about the polarisation that is being talked of. It is also
important in breeding to ensure that the trait being bred for is naturally
propagated and does not need to be re-created on a regular basis by 'special
techniques'.

Best Regards & 73s, Dave Cushman... G8MZY
Beekeeping & Bee Breeding Website
Email: [log in to unmask] or  [log in to unmask]
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman & http://www.dave-cushman.net

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