Israeli co. uses AI to save bees

The agricultural landscape is evolving, with sustainable practices and efficient resource utilization taking center stage. Among the critical aspects of this evolution is pollination, an essential process that underpins the production of about 75% of major food crops.

Recognizing the significance of effective pollination, BeeHero, a data-driven agri-tech company, has introduced the Pollination Insight Platform. The in-field sensing solution leverages advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor pollinator activity, improve pollination efficiency, and ultimately enhance crop yields.

BeeHero's Pollination Insight Platform builds upon its patented in-hive sensors, which have revolutionized the way bee behavior is monitored. By deploying these sensors in the field, BeeHero enables real-time tracking of pollinator activity for various crops, including seed, row, and specialty varieties.

The technology significantly contributes to the company’s vast dataset on bee behavior, the world's largest, cultivated from the management of over 200,000 hives.

“Bee pollination serves as the bedrock of modern agriculture and future food supply, and yet it has historically been a black box. We are committed to expanding transparency for beekeepers and growers by enabling them to leverage unprecedented data, not only within the hive but now, beyond it,” said Omer Davidi, Co-Founder and CEO of BeeHero.

Using AI to save the bees

“This new platform empowers growers with crucial knowledge about the actual bee activity in the field – with huge positive implications for seed, row, and other crops.”

The platform’s plug-and-play in-field sensors capture critical data, including bee visits to flowers, bee behavior, and environmental conditions. This technology is a paradigm shift from the inefficient and incomplete manual data collection methods used in the past.

Harnessing AI-powered analytics, the collected data transforms into valuable insights that facilitate informed decision-making by growers, ultimately leading to improved crop yields.

The insights provided by BeeHero's sensors are easily accessible through a mobile interface, serving as a comprehensive management tool for growers. This interface allows growers to track crucial information such as dates, hive placements, and pollination strength.

BeeHero's commitment to transparency ensures that beekeepers and growers alike can harness unprecedented data to optimize pollination practices and crop production.

BeeHero collaborated with Hazera, a global vegetable seeds company and part of Limagrain's vegetable seeds division, in the development of the Pollination Insight Platform. Over a three-year research project, the partnership culminated in the commercial deployment of the platform in the United States, Europe, and Israel. 

“Together, we are enabling growers to assess pollination activity at all times, something that was previously not possible,” said Avi Gabai, Hazera’s Production Research Manager.

“The introduction of this in-field sensing solution marks a significant milestone in the agricultural industry’s ongoing efforts to address the challenges posed by declining bee populations. BeeHero’s expertise in precision pollination, coupled with our extensive knowledge in seed breeding, development, and production, makes this collaboration a powerful force in revolutionizing crop pollination practices, paving the way for a more sustainable and productive future for growers worldwide.”