Efficiency and effectiveness of native bees and honey bees as pollinators of apples in New South Wales orchards

Bernauer, Olivia M.; Tierney, Simon M.; Cook, James M.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108063

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Previous studies have found that blow flies can carry an average of ~2500 (SE = 500) mango pollen grains (Huda et al 2015). However, actual pollen deposition during visits is likely to be related to a range of factors including pollen carrying load, time spent per flower and the likelihood of stigmal contact (Rader et al 2009;Woodcock et al 2013;Bernauer et al 2022). In at least some crops, multiple visits are required to maximise fruit set (Kendall et al 2020).…”

Section: Pollen Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been well established that both wild and managed pollinators contribute to pollination services in agricultural ecosystems (Garibaldi et al 2013;Rader et al 2016Rader et al , 2019Potts et al 2016;Willcox et al 2019;Bernauer et al 2022). Whilst managed pollinators are usually just a single species (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some blow flies have been commercially reared for use as managed pollinators (Howlett 2012), whilst many other species also have characteristics that are desirable as pollinators (Cook et al 2020). Although blow flies are common in many pollinator communities, they generally make up only a small proportion of crop visitors (Singh et al unpublished;Bernauer et al 2022). For example, a single genus of blow fly (Chrysomya), makes up around 5% of all flower visits in avocado, mango and macadamia orchards in Australia (Willcox et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fishing for flies: testing the efficacy of “stink stations” for promoting blow flies as pollinators in mango orchards

2023

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Pollinator communities are composed of diverse groups of insects, with radically different life histories and resource needs. Blow flies are known to visit a variety of economically important crop plants. Larval blow flies develop by feeding on decaying animals. Some fruit growers are known to place carrion on farms during the flowering season to attract adult blow flies (Calliphoridae). However, the efficacy of these “stink stations” has not been tested. We conducted a series of experiments to determine: 1) if stink stations promote the abundance of blow flies in mango orchards (Mangifera indica L.), 2) if any increases in the abundance of flies acts to promote pollination and fruit set in Australian mango orchards. Farms with stink stations had approximately three times more flies than control farms. However, the increased abundance of blow flies did not result in increased fruit set. Although stink stations increased the abundance of blow flies, we found no evidence that their use improves mango yield. This may be due to pollination saturation by a highly abundant native hover fly, Mesembrius bengalensis (Syrphidae), during our study. We hypothesize that stink stations may only be beneficial in years or regions where other pollinators are less abundant.

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Section: Pollen Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fishing for flies: testing the efficacy of “stink stations” for promoting blow flies as pollinators in mango orchards

2023

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“…The biological insurance hypothesis suggests that taxonomically diverse pollinator communities should provide more sustainable pollination service via functional redundancy: an oversupply of species with pollination-specific behavioural and morphological traits [8][9][10]. For example, if a dominant pollinator becomes extinct, the remaining species may functionally bridge the gap [11,12]. Hence, temporal variation in abundance of taxa is of equal importance to their functional performance for accurate quantification of ecological services [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is often considered the most important pollinator in agricultural environments, it is not always the most functionally effective [13][14][15][16], in terms of pollen available for cross-pollination and actually deposited onto stigmas [12]. Such biological detail becomes increasingly relevant for taxa that have evolved structural adaptations (corbiculae) to pack and transport pollen where it is inaccessible from a pollination standpoint.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bee pollination services and the burden of biogeography

et al. 2023

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Native bees augment pollination services in the Northern Hemisphere, especially cultivated apple crops, yet Southern Hemisphere contexts are poorly known. We observed the foraging behaviour of 69 354 invertebrate flower visitors in Australian orchards (two regions, 3 years) to assess the efficacy of pollination service ( P eff ). Native stingless bees and introduced honey bees were the most abundant visitors and most efficacious pollinators ( Tetragonula P eff = 6.16; Apis P eff = 13.02), with Tetragonula becoming important service providers above 22°C. However, visits by tree-nesting stingless bees decreased with distance from native forest (less than 200 m) and their tropical/subtropical distribution precludes pollination service in other major Australian apple-producing regions. More broadly distributed native allodapine and halictine bees transferred the most pollen per-visit, but their low abundances reduce efficacies ( Exoneura P eff = 0.03; Lasioglossum P eff = 0.06), resulting in a general dependence on honey bees. This reliance is a burden of biogeography, since key Northern Hemisphere pollinators of apple ( Andrena, Apis , Bombus , Osmia ) do not naturally occur in Australasia—where there is only 15% generic overlap with Central Asian bees sympatric with wild apple distributions (cf. Palaearctic 66% and Nearctic 46% generic overlaps). The historical biogeography of bees therefore drives an extreme dependence on one introduced species for apple pollination in Australia.

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Can strategic integration of cultivated pasture legumes into temperate agricultural systems provide stability to honey bee populations and associated industries?

Wisdom,

Kidd,

Ryan

et al. 2024

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementHumans and honey bees have a long history of interaction to yield valued products and services. However, honey bees are under pressure from changes in vegetation, agricultural practices and climate change. We investigate if pasture legumes can be harnessed to support honey bees. We use a diverse set of species that originated from the Mediterranean and western Europe but are now developed as commercial cultivars for the southern Australian livestock industries. We find that pasture legumes show great promise as a means to support honey bees and suggest that further targeted research is warranted.Summary Globally, humans and honey bees (Apis mellifera) have a long history of interaction and this is now under pressure. In temperate southern Australia, exotic honey bees rely on an unstable native floral resource base, yet a diverse set of exotic pasture legume species are sown as staple rotational or permanent crops. We investigated if these pasture legumes could be strategically used to support honey bee populations for the apiary and horticulture industries in this region. A literature review on temperate pasture legumes and honey bees was undertaken and integrated with data from an Australian industry case study. Comparisons were made to the widely‐grown red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (T. repens). We found that many southern Australian pasture legumes could provide significant floral resources as well as enhanced temporal and spatial stability for honey bees due to phenological variability and broad adaptation. Honey bees will likely recognise and be attracted to their flowers and other characteristics are comparable, or potentially superior, to red and white clover, such as floret number per inflorescence, floret length, nectar volume and sucrose‐dominance and pollen protein. The floral resource diversity from pasture legume mixes could aid honey bee health and support pollinator services for adjacent crops. We conclude that the exotic pasture legumes of temperate Australia show promise for development as a sown floral resource for honey bees. Globally, further investigation is merited to maximise benefits from the integration of a diverse range of pasture legumes into agricultural landscapes.

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Efficiency and effectiveness of native bees and honey bees as pollinators of apples in New South Wales orchards

Cited by 25 publications

References 53 publications

Fishing for flies: testing the efficacy of “stink stations” for promoting blow flies as pollinators in mango orchards

Fishing for flies: testing the efficacy of “stink stations” for promoting blow flies as pollinators in mango orchards

Bee pollination services and the burden of biogeography

Can strategic integration of cultivated pasture legumes into temperate agricultural systems provide stability to honey bee populations and associated industries?

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