Garett Slater's Two Talks

Genomic Breeding

The field of genomics has experienced groundbreaking advancements in livestock breeding, revolutionizing trait selection and enhancement for various animal species. In sectors like cattle, pigs, and poultry, genomics has accelerated breeding programs by precisely identifying genetic markers linked to desirable traits. This knowledge enables breeders to make well-informed decisions, resulting in more focused and efficient strategies. These advancements have significantly improved livestock productivity, disease resistance, and other crucial characteristics. However, while genomics has shown great success in other agricultural contexts, its integration into honey bee breeding programs remains somewhat limited. Despite honey bees' critical role in pollination and ecosystem health, there is potential for expanding and developing genomics-driven breeding strategies. In this talk, I discuss strategies to implement genomics into breeding.

My Drone Research

Among the largest threats to colony health is queen failure. Shockingly, as many as 50% of commercial queens fail within 6 months. Beekeeper production relies on high quality queens, so queen failure is of deep importance to beekeepers and researchers alike. While much energy has focused on queen aspects of failure, we are increasingly discovering that drones play a more important role in queen quality than originally expected. Of drones which are sexually mature, as few as one in ten may be able to produce enough sperm to successfully inseminate a queen. If drones are not producing healthy sperm, their mates will not produce healthy colonies. Despite this, we have very little understanding of precisely why drone reproductive quality is low. In this talk, I will discuss drone biology, causes of poor drones, and what beekeepers can do to mitigate poor drone quality

Garett's Bio

Garett Slater is a Postdoctoral Fellow for the USDA. He obtained his PhD from Purdue University in 2022, with a thesis focused on applying modern genetic tools to honey bee breeding. Previously, he completed a MS in Nutrition and Queen Quality at North Dakota State University. Garett’s current research focuses on developing genomic tools for beekeeping, including selecting for natural defenses towards Varroa, pathogens, and other diseases. He has worked as a scientist and technician with the Bee Informed Partnership at the University of Minnesota for two years, directly supporting 30 commercial beekeepers in North Dakota. Garett has 12 years of beekeeping experience, including 8 years working for a large commercial beekeeper in North Dakota.

YELLOW LEGGED HORNET

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will give MSBA a private update on Vespa velutina - the Yellow-Legged Hornet (Formerly call the "Asian Hornet")
The first confirmed detection of a live Yellow-Legged Hornet was August 2023 Savannah, Georgia. The yellow-legged hornet poses a threat to honey bees and other pollinators.
Join our meeting to learn the latest. And if YOU spot one, HERE is where to report it.

QUIZ: Can you identify which abdomen belongs to the Yellow-Legged Hornet??