Unique idea of ​​using pollen soap bubbles for flowers

As many pollinating insects are disappearing due to many factors, the idea of ​​using a soap gun to pollinate pollen is an effective solution that can save lives in the future.

Bees fly near a hive in Wehrheim, near Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo: AP).

According to the South China Post Office in the morning (Hong Kong, China), a study published in iScience Magazine on June 17 said a Japanese scientist has proven successful  soap bubbles can be Use pollination to help fruiting trees.

This is considered an important finding to help people have more opportunities to create food sources in the coming decades, when bees are facing the risk of significant population decline due to many factors.

Ejiro Miyako, Associate Professor at the Nomi-based Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Japan, said he had studied the method of robot pollination for many years, but all failed because of the drone. which he is using causes flowers to be crushed.

The weird idea of ​​testing a soap bubble came to mind when Miyako was playing with his son in a park near their home. The scientist was inspired by one of the harmless bubbles bursting on the face of a three-year-old boy.

Mr. Miyako was inspired to research when he saw his son playing soap bubbles. (Photo: AFP).

Later, Miyako and his colleague Xi Yang used a microscope to demonstrate the ability of soap bubbles to carry pollen grains. They experimented in five different directions and found a solution called lauramidopropyl betaine - often used in the manufacture of cosmetic products - to increase foam formation. These soap balls are capable of carrying pollen grains, which, after breaking, will remain on the flowers.

The scientists also added calcium to support the germination process and create the optimal pH balance. They put pollen-containing solutions into a bubble gun and shot them into a pear garden. At a rate of about 2,000 pollen grains per bubble, the scientists found that 95% of the plants bear fruit.

A soap bubble contains pollen in Eijiro Miyako's experiment. (Photo: Eijiro Miyako / AFP).

'It sounds unbelievable, but the pollen soap bubble works very well. This method can guarantee the quality of the fruit like conventional manual pollination. While manual pollination is a more labor intensive process , '' Mr. Miyako said.

A street artist creates a giant soap bubble in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: EPA).

Finally, the researchers performed their experiments in the sky. By attaching a bubble shooter containing pollen to a small drone, programmed to fly along a predetermined route. They target a cluster of fake lilies. When flying at a height of 2 meters at a speed of 2 meters per second, the unmanned device has successfully performed its mission at a rate of 90%.

Miyako said he was in talks with a company to commercialize this technology in the future. However, more monitoring is needed to improve the accuracy of the robot as well as conduct experiments on many types of flowers.

A soap bubble gun containing pollen is attached to the drone. (Photo: Reuters)

This is believed to be the first study of the properties of soap bubbles as well as pollen carriers.

The researchers hope this method can address the decline in pollinators, share the burden for the hard workers involved in artificial pollination and reduce the skyrocketing cost of pollen grains.

Pollinating insects like bees still play an important role in modern farming, as they greatly increase the productivity of crops, from rapeseed to fruit trees. However, they still face increasing threats this century due to indiscriminate use of insecticides, herbicides and other factors that lead to the deaths of millions of insects. around the globe.