All
 
I won't be at the upcoming bee meetings.  I busted up my front teeth  last 
year, and I've just begun the reconstruction process.  So, don't take  my 
absence as indifference.
 
For those of you going to ABF, I  was asked to present at the  Commercial 
Sig breakout.  I knew I wouldn't be able to attend, so I asked a  colleague 
from USDA Ames to talk about their work developing  new lines of  soybeans, 
and their efforts to add bee attraction to the mix.  I think he  was then 
asked by the Commercial Sig Program coordinator to address GMO  issues.  
Anyway, his name is Reid Palmer.  Preliminary data indicates  that there are 
significant differences in bee attractiveness of some of the  lines of soybean 
he's working on.  And, he's been looking  into some  of the GMO issues.
 
I ask that you make him welcome - it is his first bee meeting.  FYI,  we've 
been involved in several studies this past year that suggest to  us that in 
development for many crops of new hybrids, GMO,  etc., the aspect of 
attractiveness and quality of the  food resource to  bees has been forgotten.  
Reid has recognized this short coming, and is  taking the bees into account in 
his selections.
 
Good time to start a dialogue with someone who is doing the work.   Reid 
understands that bees benefit soybeans.  He came to us to ask  how  he  could 
include the bee aspect into his  program.   He's now got a PERS (its an 
assay, called proboscis extension) system from  us, and he's getting interesting 
 results.
 
Thanks
 
Jerry
 
 

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