Wild bees versus honeybees...
10 November 2011
Wild bees may be even more crucial for pollination than honeybees in some circumstances, after trial results on blackcurrants showed solitary bees and bumblebees boosted yields while honeybees played little or no part at all.
A team of researchers at the East Malling Research station in Kent grew blackcurrant 'Ben Gairn' and 'Ben Hope' in 12m long flight cages and monitored the success rates of different native pollinators.
They found fruit set in blackcurrants was up to 40% higher in plants where bumblebee nest boxes were used, and counted 13 species of bee foraging for pollen and nectar on the plants - none of which were honeybees.
Dr Michelle Fountain, who led the team, is now calling for guidelines for fruit growers to help them maximise pollination levels by developing good habitats for wild bees, including limiting use of pesticides, encouraging a wide range of wildflowers and plants in field margins and nurturing hedgerows.
'Good management of local biodiversity and the wider environment, plus considered use of pesticides, could make all the difference to pollination levels and the quality of harvests,' she said.