SearchWith the devastating decline in bee populations, farmers worldwide have worried about how to pollinate their crops in the future.
The news today tells of a scientist, Eijiro Miyako, at Japan’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology who has come up with an innovative possible solution.
His idea uses a special bubble solution. Researchers used a toy bubble gun to blow a pollen-laden bubble solution on to pear flowers. When the bubbles popped, the pollen was delivered to the pistil, the female part of the flower, germinating the flower and eventually producing fruit.
Miyako got the idea while watching his young son play with bubbles. So, the basic idea works but it’s a long way from being put into practice. One of the next steps involves developing a drone or a robot that can dispense bubbles in the correct amount. Then they have to find a way to target the appropriate flowers. But every brilliant idea has to start somewhere, and we will watch this space and hope this develops into a lasting solution.
