The event, which brought member of the Italian National Research Council Sustainable Plant Protection Institute, Dr. Gennaro Di Prisco, together with beekeepers, was organized in cooperation with the Near East University Faculty of Agriculture, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Cypriot Engineers and Architects and the Northern Cyprus Beekeepers Association.
“Honey Bee Diseases and Management, Using Smart Technologies in Beekeeping” seminar, organized in cooperation with the Near East University Faculty of Agriculture, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Cypriot Engineers and Architects (KTMMOB) and the Northern Cyprus Beekeepers Association, was held at the Near East University İrfan Günsel Congress Center Hall.
The seminar, through which issues such as climate change, sustainable beekeeping and artificial intelligence support was discussed, was held with intense participation. The seminar held open to the public and KTMMOB President Erkut Uluçam, Northern Cyprus Beekeepers Association President Hasan Kozok, Near East University Faculty of Agriculture Vice Deans Prof. Dr. Salih Gücel and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Buket Asilsoy, Near East University faculty member Dr. İlker Gelen, many students, the Northern Cyprus Beekeepers Association administratives and many beekeepers operating in the TRNC attended the seminar.
The opening speech was made by Near East University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof. Dr. Özge Özden. Dr. Gennaro Di Prisco made an important presentation. After the seminar, Near East University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof. Dr. Özge Özden presented olive saplings to KTMMOB President Erkut Uluçam and Northern Cyprus Beekeepers Association President Hasan Kozok.
Following the seminar held at Near East University, Near East University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof. Dr. Özge Özden and Italian National Research Council Sustainable Plant Protection Institute Member Dr. Gennaro Di Prisco also carried out field studies.
Prof. Dr. Özge Özden: “In the autumn, together with Turkish Cypriot beekeepers, we will visit the Sustainable Plant Protection Institute affiliated with the Italian National Research Council.”
In her opening speech, Near East University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Prof. Dr. Özge Özden said that they held the fourth event on beekeeping this year. Prof. Dr. Özge Özden said that this is an indication of the importance they attach to Northern Cyprus beekeeping and ‘Cyprus Honey’. “In order to maintain our existence as a society, we must produce and do this production successfully. Attaching importance to international projects and scientific studies is of vital importance for quality production.” said Prof. Dr. Özge Özden, and added; “As Near East University Faculty of Agriculture, we will continue to develop projects that will increase quality and efficiency in agricultural production.”
Stating that they have started preparations for new projects, Prof. Dr. Özge Özden said, “In the autumn, we plan to visit the Sustainable Plant Protection Institute affiliated with the Italian National Research Council together with Turkish Cypriot beekeepers. During this visit, our beekeepers will meet with their colleagues there and exchange information about beekeeping practices. We will have the opportunity to learn about new techniques, methods and best practices and integrate them into our own beekeeping activities. In this way, we will be able to take steps to develop our beekeeping sector and manage it in a more sustainable way.”
Dr. Di Prisco said, “Today, climate change is progressing rapidly and sudden changes are occurring. It is necessary to benefit from new technologies in order to quickly adapt to these changes.”
Dr. Gennaro Di Prisco said that they are carrying out an important project with the Near East University Faculty of Agriculture that will increase the use of technology and artificial intelligence in beekeeping. Dr. Di Prisco said that with this project, they focused on examining the stresses faced by bees with artificial intelligence technologies. “We are also conducting a study on monitoring beehives in citrus gardens with robotic systems and analyzing them with artificial intelligence technology,” Di Prisco said, and stated that bee and honey samples coming from the TRNC were analyzed within the scope of the BeeGuard Project funded by the European Union and that these studies will contribute to studies on bee production. Stating that they also study the behavior and immune mechanisms of bees, Dr. Gennaro Di Prisco said that factors such as climate change, diseases and pests lead to large bee losses.
Dr. Di Prisco said, “Today, climate change is progressing rapidly and sudden changes are occurring. It is necessary to benefit from new technologies in order to quickly adapt to these changes.” Stating that two main problems stand out in beekeeping, Dr. Di Prisco said “Acute toxicity leads to sudden deaths, while slow population decline is usually caused by various factors such as parasites, pathogens or scarce nectar sources.” Emphasizing that beekeeping is a difficult work, Dr. Di Prisco said that the reason for this is the lack of a fixed medicine to get rid of the emerging diseases. Dr. Di Prisco: “Many factors are important for beekeepers, such as the strength of bees and the existence of parasites and pathogens. There are always different stressors and they are interrelated. That’s why a holistic perspective in hive management is important.”
