A mechanical hum replaced the buzz of the bees in one Israeli almond orchard this season as farmers, concerned over the global decline of bee populations, tried a new method to pollinate their crops.
With bees on decline, mechanical pollination may be solution
Could machines replace declining bees?
Location: Tel Arad, Israel Farmers worried about the global drop in bee populations are trialing a new way of pollinating crops This machine mirrors the work of honey bees A tractor carrying a mast with small cannon fires shots of pollen at the trees enabling them to fertilize Most crops rely on pollination to grow (SOUNDBITE) (English) EYLAM RAN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF EDETE PRECISION TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURE, SAYING: "We are actually developing a mechanical pollination system, end to end system, starting from producing the pollen and ending it by dispersing it back to the trees, one season after, a year in between.
"We are actually working hard to prevent a crisis.
We see a crisis in 15 years where we don't have enough insects in the world to actually do pollination and most of our vitamins and fruits are gone.
So this is something that allows us to have the same diet we're used to." The drastic fall in bee numbers is caused by: intensive agriculture, pesticides, and climate change Developers of the artificial pollinator say the machine could eventually replace bees They hope to market the equipment in 2023