UBEES

Impact

Getting resilience from managing diversity

Description

Bees play a pivotal role in maintaining the health and sustainability of vineyard ecosystems. Their activities, if not essential to the pollination of grapevines, are quite important for other plants in cover swards or hedges, enhancing the overall productivity and biodiversity of these agricultural landscapes. The presence of bees and other pollinators in vineyards enhances the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Pollinator diversity and beneficial insects in managed vineyards contributes to the ecological balance and health of the vineyard environment. This diversity is crucial for the resilience of the ecosystem against pests and diseases. The presence of bees supports the activities of other beneficial insects and predators that help manage vineyard pests, reducing the need for chemical interventions. The reduced need for pesticides and other chemical inputs can lead to cost savings for vineyard managers.

The UBEES project aims to monitor vineyard ecosystems and biodiversity by installing state-of-the-art sensor-laden beehives near vineyards. Bees serve as indicators of ecosystem health, with their activities monitored through advanced sensors in the hives, whose data is accessible via a smartphone application. The project is coordinated by ADVID supported by UBEES and involving three wine companies, including Sogrape, where four hives are installed at Quinta da Leda. The objectives are to provide information on floral species, track the spread of plant protection products in the ecosystem, and assess grapevine pollen quality during flowering. The expected benefits include controlling and managing cover crops in vineyards, improving pollination and natural regeneration via bee activity, enhancing sustainability by tracking pesticide spread, determining grapevine pollen quality and its effect on productivity, and identifying bee predators and antagonists.

Bees are essential for vineyards, as their pollination boosts biodiversity. Protecting and encouraging bee populations is vital for the health and sustainability of vineyard ecosystems. Additionally, bees can serve as efficient partners in assessing the ecosystem, providing insights into the environmental conditions, and helping to monitor the overall health of the vineyard landscape.