Legumes are bee-pollinated, but to a different extent. The importance of the plant–pollinator interplay (PPI), in flowering crops such as legumes lies in a combination of the importance of pollination for the production service and breeding strategies, plus the increasing urgency in mitigating the decline of pollinators through the development and implementation of conservation measures. To realize the full potential of the PPI, a multidisciplinary approach is required. This article assembles an international team of genebank managers, geneticists, plant breeders, experts on environmental governance and agro-ecology, and comprises several sections. The contributions in these sections outline both the state of the art of knowledge in the field and the novel aspects under development, and encompass a range of reviews, opinions and perspectives. The first three sections explore the role of PPI in legume breeding strategies. PPI based approaches to crop improvement can make it possible to adapt and re-design breeding strategies to meet both goals of: (1) optimal productivity, based on an efficient use of pollinators, and (2) biodiversity conservation. The next section deals with entomological aspects and focuses on the protection of the “pest control service” and pollinators in legume crops. The final section addresses general approaches to encourage the synergy between food production and pollination services at farmer field level. Two basic approaches are proposed: (a) Farming with Alternative Pollinators and (b) Crop Design System.

Abstract. The tiger-fly Coenosia attenuata Stein (Diptera: Muscidae) is a predator that is currently thought to be a useful biological control agent in greenhouses, especially in the Mediterranean region. Here, we present a method for rearing this predator in the laboratory by feeding it on fungus gnats (fed on Pleurotus ostreatus fungus) and drosophilids (Diptera). Over the past two years, this method has been continuously used to successfully produce predators for bioecological studies in the laboratory. Rearing cages with one, five or 10 male-female pairs, either of laboratory or field origin, were compared using females that were either unmated and recently emerged, or mated and about 20 days old (post-emergence). We evaluated the following parameters: number of rearing cages in which adults emerged, number and sex ratio of emerged adults, period from the introduction of parental pairs into cages and the emergence of the first offspring adults, and the period over which emergence occurred in the cages. Based on our results and in order to minimize the space needed for the colony, cages should be stocked with ca. 10 parental pairs, either of field or laboratory origin, with at least some mated females about 20 days post emergence. We also found that the predator's rearing substrate in the cages is improved if coconut fibre is mixed with the soil. These findings will improve the efficiency of C. attenuata rearing, an important step if it is to be used as a biological control agent.

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The genetic diversity of "Gama" and "Bico de Corvo", local cultivars of olive tree (Olea europaea) from seven traditional orchards of Ficalho (Alentejo region, Portugal), was studied to characterize the local diversity and assess the level of on farm diversity. Two different analytical systems were used: endocarp morphological characteristics and genetic analysis by microsatellite markers (Simple Sequence Repeats or SSR). The seven screened loci were polymorphic and allowed the identification of 23 distinct SSR profiles within the 27 trees analyzed. A total of 52 different alleles were scored, with an average of 7.43 alleles/SSR locus, and considerable genetic diversity was found. Neighbor-Joining algorithm cluster analysis and principal co-ordinate analysis (PCoA) allowed for the identification of the genetic relationships between several accessions. The 27 Olea accessions were clearly separated into three different groups. SSR analysis was more precise than endocarp characterization in the classification of genetic diversity among the olive tree cultivars. The study shows reasonable olive tree diversity in Ficalho, indicating that these traditional orchards are important reservoirs of old minor cultivars and incubators of new genotypes.

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