[Pollinator] Fwd: CATCH THE BUZZ - Bees in Trouble, So Are Crops

[Ladadams at aol.com]

Thanks to Chip Taylor for this.   
____________________________________
 From: chip at ku.edu
To: Ladadams at aol.com
Sent: 3/1/2013 7:48:01 A.M. Pacific  Standard Time
Subj: Fwd: CATCH THE BUZZ - Bees in Trouble, So Are  Crops


 

Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2013 08:40:31 -0600
To: <chip at ku.edu>
From:  Kim Flottum <Kim at BeeCulture.com>
Subject: CATCH THE BUZZ - Bees in  Trouble, So Are Crops
X-Ezezine: (1636.25562.4009)

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_http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2013.03.01.08.40.archive.html_ 
(http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2013.03.01.08.40.archive.html) 

CATCH THE BUZZ 

Loss of wild insects hurts crops around the world



Researchers studying data from 600 fields in 20 countries have found that  
managed honey bees are not as successful at pollinating crops as wild 
insects,  primarily wild bees, suggesting the continuing loss of wild insects in 
many  agricultural landscapes has negative consequences for crop harvests.

The study, which prompts an urgent call to maintain and manage pollinator  
diversity for long-term agricultural production, is published today in the  
prestigious journal Science.

The 50 international researchers, including Lawrence Harder, professor in  
the Department of Biological Sciences in the Faculty of Science at the 
_University_ ()  of Calgary, analysed data from 41  crop systems around the world 
including fruits, seeds, nuts, and coffee to  examine the consequences of 
having abundant wild pollinators for crop  pollination.

"Our study demonstrates that production of many fruit and seed crops that  
make _diets_ ()  interesting, such as  tomatoes, coffee and watermelon, is 
limited because their flowers are not  adequately pollinated," says Harder. 
"We also show that adding more honey bees  often does not fix this problem, 
but that increased service by wild insects  would help."

Flowers of most crops need to receive pollen before making seeds and  
fruits, a process that is enhanced by insects that visit flowers. These  
pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies and beetles, usually live in  
natural or semi-natural habitats, such as the edges of forests, hedgerows or  
grasslands. As these habitats are lost, primarily owing to conversion to  
agriculture, the abundance and diversity of pollinators decline and crops  receive 
fewer visits from wild insects.

The study found that the proportion of flowers producing fruits was  
considerably lower in sites with fewer wild insects visiting crop flowers.  
Therefore, the reduction of wild insects in agricultural landscapes will  likely 
impact both our natural heritage and agricultural harvest.

"Paradoxically, most common approaches to increase agricultural  
efficiency, such as cultivation of all available land and the use of  pesticides, 
reduce the abundance and variety of wild insects that could  increase production 
of these crops," says Harder. "Our study highlights the  benefits of 
considering this paradox in designing and implementing  agricultural systems."

The study suggests that new practices for integrated management of both  
honey bees and wild insects will enhance global yields of animal-pollinated  
crops and promote long-term agricultural production. These practices should  
include conservation or restoration of natural or semi-natural areas within  
croplands, _promotion_ ()  of a variety of  land use, addition of diverse 
floral and nesting resources, and more prudent  use of insecticides that can 
kill pollinators.

 
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-- 

Chip Taylor
chip at ku.edu
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