Wild pollinators improve production, uniformity, and timing of blueberry crops
Nicholson, Charles C. LU
and Ricketts, Taylor H.
(2019)
In Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
272.
p.29-37
- Abstract
Animal pollination is an important input to the global food system, affecting 2/3 of crops and worth more than $100 billion annually. Mounting evidence of pollinators’ importance, and of their decline worldwide, has prompted efforts to conserve and restore wild bees within agricultural regions. To date, however, research on the value of wild pollinators has focused largely on crop productivity per se and on intensely managed landscapes. Here, we combine field experiments, bee observations, and economic methods to estimate the impact of wild pollinators on the quantity and quality of blueberry crops within a low intensity agricultural landscape in Vermont, USA. Visits by wild bees reduced pollination limitation and increased seed set by... (More)
Animal pollination is an important input to the global food system, affecting 2/3 of crops and worth more than $100 billion annually. Mounting evidence of pollinators’ importance, and of their decline worldwide, has prompted efforts to conserve and restore wild bees within agricultural regions. To date, however, research on the value of wild pollinators has focused largely on crop productivity per se and on intensely managed landscapes. Here, we combine field experiments, bee observations, and economic methods to estimate the impact of wild pollinators on the quantity and quality of blueberry crops within a low intensity agricultural landscape in Vermont, USA. Visits by wild bees reduced pollination limitation and increased seed set by up to 92%, fruit mass 12%, and fruit set 12%. Visitation also increased the uniformity of fruit size by up to 11% and advanced the timing of harvest by 2.5 days, both of which can increase crop value. For five out of six groups of wild bees, increased visits improved seed set relative to hand-pollinated controls. The potential economic value of relieving pollen limitation (and therefore improving fruit set and fruit mass) varied widely among farms. On most, production could increase 1–6% (representing $500-$4000 per year in additional revenue), but the maximum increase was 36% (representing $137,000 per year). Conserving wild pollinator communities, therefore, can increase crop quantity, quality, and farm revenue, but some farmers will benefit more than others. Farm-specific studies and recommendations are needed to best inform local and regional management decisions.
(Less)
- author
- Nicholson, Charles C.
LU
and Ricketts, Taylor H.
- publishing date
- 2019-02-15
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Bee, Ecosystem service, Landscape, Pollination, Sustainable agriculture, Vermont (USA)
- in
- Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
- volume
- 272
- pages
- 29 - 37
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85056622299
- ISSN
- 0167-8809
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.agee.2018.10.018
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Funding Information: We thank the many blueberry growers who have allowed us to conduct experiments in their fields, and to Vern Grubinger for helping us to connect with them. Thanks to Anna Beauchemin, Katie Burns, Erin Cain, Paige Carncross, Elizabeth Gribkoff, Jen Hayes, Melissa Moldovan, Kristian Moore, Ashlin Treadway, Liana Vitousek, and Rose Watts for field and lab assistance. Leif Richardson and Jason Gibbs helped to identify bees. Members of the Ricketts lab, the Gund Institute, and the Integrated Crop Pollination Program improved the project with their ideas. Alison Brody, Leif Richardson, and Nathan Sanders improved the manuscript with their suggestions. This research was supported with startup funding to THR from the Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. CCN was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship [grant number DGE-1451866 ]. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
- id
- a3eb5679-cc9f-4511-906f-120e5ea578fe
- date added to LUP
- 2023-02-09 16:41:44
- date last changed
- 2023-03-29 17:42:20
@article{a3eb5679-cc9f-4511-906f-120e5ea578fe,
abstract = {{<p>Animal pollination is an important input to the global food system, affecting 2/3 of crops and worth more than $100 billion annually. Mounting evidence of pollinators’ importance, and of their decline worldwide, has prompted efforts to conserve and restore wild bees within agricultural regions. To date, however, research on the value of wild pollinators has focused largely on crop productivity per se and on intensely managed landscapes. Here, we combine field experiments, bee observations, and economic methods to estimate the impact of wild pollinators on the quantity and quality of blueberry crops within a low intensity agricultural landscape in Vermont, USA. Visits by wild bees reduced pollination limitation and increased seed set by up to 92%, fruit mass 12%, and fruit set 12%. Visitation also increased the uniformity of fruit size by up to 11% and advanced the timing of harvest by 2.5 days, both of which can increase crop value. For five out of six groups of wild bees, increased visits improved seed set relative to hand-pollinated controls. The potential economic value of relieving pollen limitation (and therefore improving fruit set and fruit mass) varied widely among farms. On most, production could increase 1–6% (representing $500-$4000 per year in additional revenue), but the maximum increase was 36% (representing $137,000 per year). Conserving wild pollinator communities, therefore, can increase crop quantity, quality, and farm revenue, but some farmers will benefit more than others. Farm-specific studies and recommendations are needed to best inform local and regional management decisions.</p>}},
author = {{Nicholson, Charles C. and Ricketts, Taylor H.}},
issn = {{0167-8809}},
keywords = {{Bee; Ecosystem service; Landscape; Pollination; Sustainable agriculture; Vermont (USA)}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{02}},
pages = {{29--37}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment}},
title = {{Wild pollinators improve production, uniformity, and timing of blueberry crops}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.10.018}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.agee.2018.10.018}},
volume = {{272}},
year = {{2019}},
}