USDA Awards $4.1 Million to Study Colony Collapse Disorder
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on July 17 an award of $4 million to the University of Georgia to study the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other diseases affecting bee populations, whose pollination is valued at $15 billion annually to U.S. agriculture.

"Bees are an extremely valuable contributor to the overall productivity of American agriculture, but invasive pests, diseases and environmental stresses are putting U.S. bees at serious risk," Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said. "This research will help beekeepers meet the pollination demand for the nation's food supply."

The Protection of Managed Bees Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), funded through a four-year grant from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), aims to improve the health of managed bee populations in agricultural systems. The research will address genomics, breeding, pathology, immunology and applied ecology to explain the causes behind dwindling bee populations. Researchers will work closely with the extension community and other stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation strategies for CCD and other significant problems.

CSREES committed $1.7 million to honeybee and pollinator research in Fiscal Year 2007. National program leaders at USDA's Agricultural Research Service and CSREES developed an action plan for CCD, which is a long-term plan for research, extension and educational activities that are recommended to address this important problem. Background information about CCD and the action plan is available at www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd . Click here for full USDA award story

Story from national honey board 8-6-08