Farming for bees: sustainable pollination on your farm Rufus Isaacs & Julianna Tuell Department of Entomology, Michigan State University
Jan 04, 2016
Farming for bees:
sustainable pollination on your farmRufus Isaacs & Julianna Tuell
Department of Entomology, Michigan State University
72% of crop plants require bee-mediated pollination
35% of human food is dependent upon bees for pollination Klein et al. 2006
• Some species are very efficient crop pollinators: Bombus, Osmia….
• Native bees are adapted to local weather conditions
• Some species emerge in synchrony with specific crops to pollinate them exclusively
• Long term sustainability of pollination: $3 billion of fruit and vegetable pollination
• May be considered ‘pollination insurance’
Why consider native bees for crop pollination?
Pollinator diversity to ensure crop pollination
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Honeybees only
Honeybees+native bees
10 year blueberry yields – my fictional data!!
Michigan Agricultural LandscapesAgricultural landscapes
Landscape provides
-Flowering plants
-Nesting sites
Varying intensity of crop management
• Unmanaged land generally benefits native bee communitiesKremen et al. 2002, Greenleaf and Kremen 2006, Winfree 2007
• Wild bees perform better in organic vs. conventionally managed crop landscapes. Gabriel and Tscharntke 2007, Holzuch et al. 2008
• Bee communities are generally suppressed by insecticides – Fenitrothion application caused native bee declines Kevan 1997, Kevan and Plowright 1989
– Pesticide program less important than proximity to native landscape Kremen et al. 2002, 2004
• Tillage reduces populations of ground-nesting bees. Schuler et al. 2006
Response of native bees to agricultural intensification
Increase native bees on farmland by providing…
1. Nectar and pollen– selective mowing of ditches and field borders.– combine flowering plant species to provide overlapping blooms. – insect conservation strips at edges of fields.– integrate woody and herbaceous plants for early and late-blooming flowers.
2. Nesting habitat– undisturbed open sandy soil– old trees, snags, woodland
3. Environment free of toxic insecticides - adopt IPM/organic practices
- selective insecticides
- use biological controls
Research questions
1. Which species of native bee are present in blueberry fields?
2. How do local habitat type and management intensity in and around blueberry fields influence native bees?
3. Do insecticides targeted at pests after bloom affect abundance
of native bees during bloom the following year?
Which native bees are present during blueberry bloom?
andrenid bees45%
sweat bees45%
mason bees1%
cellophane bees1%
bumble bees and carpenter
bees8%
Sampled twice during bloom at 15 farms in 2004, 2005, 2006
digger bees
N
N
-1.0 2.0
-1.5
1.5
Andrenid bees
Halictid bees
other native beesinsecticide program
soil cult.
perimeter woods
treeline
ditches
other fl crops
adj. blueberry
meadows
floral abundance
plant sp
2005
Native bee abundance is affected by farm management practices
sample time in relation to blueberry bloom
Many native bee species are active through the year
focus on blueberry
visit different species’
flowers throughout spring
and summer
Overlap between pollinator activity and pest activity
April May June July Aug Sept
Osmia beesandrenid bees
halictid bees
Bombus queens
Bombus workers
= Blueberry bloom
Insecticides applied by study cooperators 2003-2005
InsecticideActive Ingredient Chemical Class Targeted pests
LD50
µg/bee
Diazinon 50 WP diazinon OP BBA 0.14
Guthion 50 WP azinphos-methyl OP FW, OBLR 0.06
Imidan 70 WP phosmet OP BBM, JB, OBLR 0.61
Aqua Malathion malathion OP BBM, JB 0.27
Asana XL 0.66 EC esfenvalerate pyrethroid FW, BBA 0.06
Lannate methomyl carbamate FW, BBA 0.08
Sevin 80 WSP carbaryl carbamate BBM, JB, OBLR 1.50
Sevin XLR+ carbaryl carbamate BBM, JB, OBLR 26.70
Provado 1.6 F imidacloprid neonicotinoid BBM, JB, BBA 0.050
Spintor 2 SC spinosad naturalyte BBM 0.025
Confirm 2 F tebufenozide IGR FW, OBLR 234.00
Dipel B. thuringiensis biological FW, OBLR >500.00
LD50 = Dose killing 50% of worker Apis mellifera after 24 hours. Topical application method.
Index of pesticide risk to bees
• Grower spray records obtained for each season prior to bee monitoring, starting in 2003.
• An insecticide program toxicity (IPT) score for each field each year was calculated:
• Determine relationship between native bee counts and insecticide intensity from the year prior to each sample during bloom.
insecticide program toxicity = ∑ amount of active ingredient (kg) / HaLD50 for honeybees
insecticide program toxicity = ∑ amount of active ingredient (kg) / HaLD50 for honeybees
amount of active ingredient (kg) / HaLD50 for honeybees
Native bees declined with increasing IPT scorethis trend was seen in two of three sampling years
2004 data
Pesticide toxicity (IPT) in previous year
abundance= 0.44
P = 0.007
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R2
abundance= 0.44
P = 0.007
050
100150
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0 20 40
R2 = 0.44P = 0.007
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= 0.44P = 0.007
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richness= 0.33
P = 0.03
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richness= 0.33
P = 0.03
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0 20 40
R2 = 0.33P = 0.03
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0 20 40
= 0.33P = 0.03
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0 20 40
R2R2
Number of bees Number of bee species
Summary
• Blueberry fields contain a diversity of native bee species during bloom, with variable nesting biology, timing, and specialization.
• The abundance and richness of native bees are affected by some in-field management practices, and by adjacent land use.
• Fields receiving pest control programs with higher pesticide toxicity have lower native bee abundance and richness.
• Reducing toxicity of pest control practiceswill support greater bee abundance and richness.
• Foraging and nesting resources are needed throughout the season.
• Flower and nesting resources near to crop fields can help support the native bee community.
Implications for bee conservation on farms
Midwest prairie plants most attractive to beneficial insects
Benefits
Enhance native biodiversity
Restoration of imperiled habitats
Less likely to be invasive
Adapted to local climate
Provide habitat permanency
Potential negatives
Multi-year establishment
Availability
Cost
funded by
• Bees: sweat bees, digger bees, cuckoo bees, small and large carpenter bees, and bumble bees
• Natural enemies: chalcid wasps, minute pirate bug, spiders
Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
• Bloom: late July - mid August
Range
Sunlight
sun shade
Rangedry
Moisture
wet
• Bees: sweat bees, small carpenter bees, digger bees, bumble bees
• Natural enemies: minute pirate bug, predatory plant bug, Chalcid wasps, soldier beetle, spiders
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
• Bloom: August – early September
Range
Sunlight
sun shade
Rangedry
Moisturewet
www.nativeplants.msu.edu
Bloom phenology and relative attractiveness of native plants
Native plant
wild strawberry
golden alexanders
Canada anemone
penstemon
angelica
cow parsnip
sand coreopsis
shrubby cinquefoil
Indian hemp
late figwort
swamp milkweed
Culver's root
yellow coneflower
nodding wild onion
meadowsweet
yellow giant hyssop
horsemint
Missouri ironweed
cup plant
pale Indian plantain
boneset
blue lobelia
pale-leaved sunflower
Riddell's goldenrod
New England aster
smooth aster
Natural enemies AugMay Jun Jul Sep Oct
Bloom periodBees
KEY
good
better
best
Fiedler et al. (2007)Also at: www.nativeplants.msu.edu
Season-long bee-attractive native floral resources
beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus
Native plant
golden Alexanders, Zizia aureacommon ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius
late figwort, Scrophularia marilandicaswamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnataCulver's root, Veronicastrum virginicumyellow coneflower, Ratibida pinnatanodding wild onion, Allium cernuummeadowsweet, Spiraea albayellow giant hyssop, Agastache nepetoideshorsemint/spotted beebalm, Monarda punctataMissouri ironweed, Vernonia missuricacup plant, Silphium perfoliatumpale Indian plantain, Cacalia atriplicifoliaboneset, Eupatorium perfoliatumblue lobelia, Lobelia siphiliticapale-leaved sunflower, Helianthus strumosusRiddell's goldenrod, Solidago riddelliiNew England aster, Aster novae-angliaesmooth aster, Aster laevis
AugMay Jun Jul Sep OctApproximate Bloom Period
American elder, Sambucus canadensis
Apr
willow, Salix spp.
wild cherry, Prunus spp.black chokecherry, Aronia melanocarpa
silky dogwood, Cornus amomum
Enhancing pollinator conservation on farmland
avoid bee toxic pesticidesduring bloom
flowering perimeters
flowering ground cover
limited tillage
nesting habitats
clean water
only use bee safe pesticides
natural area refuges
landscape management
Research on crop-specific and regionally appropriate practices
Cost : benefit analyses
Financial incentives
Demonstration programs
Information delivery
Incentive payments for working lands
Farm Bill conservation programs: EQIP, WHIP, GRP, WRP, CRP, CSP, etc.
Many USDA-NRCS “conservation practices” can be used to provide habitat for pollinators
An increasing number of sources to help fund pollinator conservation practices
State Acres for Wildlife Grants (SAFE)
Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) now targeting pollinator projects (new in 2008)
Conservation Security Program (CSP) has a specific nectar corridor enhancement
The new Farm Bill?
Pollinator conservation informationwww.nativeplants.msu.edu
More information at www.xerces.org and www.pollinator.org
CollaboratorsAnna Fiedler Doug LandisJohn Ascher, AMNHMace Vaughn, Xerces Soc.
Research assistantsSteve Van TimmerenJack LangdonMatthew TuellCasey McLeanJessie Siemen
Grower CooperatorsLarry BodtkeRandy BowermanBob CariniJoe DeGranchampBeverly DeJongeKarlis Galens R.J. Rant Dave Stansby Terry TilesDoug Wassink Jan Woods
Thanks!
Funding