Remote beehive monitoring, a new opportunity for nomadic beekeeping (NOMADI-App)

Nuove Opportunità nel Monitoraggio A DIstanza nell'APicoltura Produttiva (NOMADI-App)

Context

La pratica del nomadismo, ossia lo spostamento degli alveari in relazione alle differenti fioriture, è alla base dell’apicoltura produttiva. Tuttavia questa pratica comporta il posizionamento degli apiari a distanza dal centro aziendale, di conseguenza l’apicoltore, ha un minor controllo sullo stato dei propri alveari e una riduzione nella capacità nel dare risposte tempestiva alle problematiche che li colpiscono. Inoltre, la gestione di un’azienda apistica nomade comporta maggiori spese dovute sia agli spostamenti per il controllo dei propri apiari, sia a perdite di famiglie di api per cause biotiche o abiotiche. Il settore apistico, di recente, ha sviluppato strumenti che permettono di raccogliere a distanza informazioni sullo stato dell’arnia favorendone una miglior gestione. Tuttavia, tali strumenti sono ancora poco diffusi sul territorio regionale, principalmente perché poco conosciuti.

The practice of nomadism, that is the movement of hives in relation to the different blooms, is the basis of productive beekeeping. However, this practice involves the positioning of apiaries at a distance from the business center, consequently the beekeeper has less control over the status of their hives and a reduction in the ability to give timely responses to the problems that affect them. Last but not least, the management of a nomadic apistic company entails higher expenses due both to the movement for the control of its apiaries, and to losses of bee families due to biotic or abiotic causes. The beekeeping sector, recently, has developed tools that allow the remote collection of information on the status of the hive, encouraging better management. However, these tools are still not widespread on the regional territory.

Objectives

The project Nomadi-App involves the construction of a regional monitoring network consisting of computerized apiaries, equipped with sensors, which collect the data from the hives. Hive data will be elaborated and integrated with data from meteorological forecasts, from the territory, and from the nectariferous species phenology, such as flowering times, to provide useful information for apiary management. All the data will be viewable from home on a dedicated web platform.

Activities

1. Development and adaptation of network hives monitoring devices (sensors)
2. Development and adaptation of the data acquisition, processing and visualization software platform for the DSS
3. Preparation and management of hives monitored at the beekeeping companies of the monitoring network
4. Analysis of the regional weather-climate and territorial situation for the purposes of the DSS for nomadic beekeeping activities
5. Analysis of the environmental situation surrounding the hives of the monitoring network for the identification of potential pollutants present
6. Realization of test fields of nectariferous cover crop
7. Dissemination and training activities