Native pollinators increase fruit set while honeybees decrease the quality of mandarins in family farms

Monasterolo, Marcos; Chacoff, Natacha P.; Ángel, D. Segura; Benavídez, Analía; Schliserman, Pablo

doi:10.1016/j.baae.2022.07.008

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…We found Calliphoridae (blowflies), Muscidae (houseflies), and Syrphidae (hoverflies) to be the most abundant non-bee flower visitors with the highest pollinator potential for fruit production (see Kleiman et al for an in-depth discussion of pollinators and fruit yield results) [ 44 ]. Our study suggests non-honeybee insects to be more effective pollinators of mango than managed honeybees, contributing to other emergent studies with similar results looking at citrus [ 74 ], apple [ 75 ], cacao [ 76 ], and many other crops favoring non-bee insect pollinators, valued at US $1.2 billion worldwide [ 77 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Weeds Enhance Insect Diversity and Abundance and May Improve Soil Conditions in Mango Cultivation of South Florida

Kleiman

Koptur²

2023

Insects

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This study examined if weeds could serve as insectary plants to increase beneficial insect abundance and diversity in mango cultivation in southern Florida. Additionally, we examined how weed presence affects mango tree soil health. We found that weeds significantly increased pollinating and parasitoid insect abundance and diversity. Eight insect orders and eighteen families were significantly more abundant on mango trees with weeds growing beneath them than those where weeds were removed. There was no difference in predatory insects between treatments, and slightly more herbivorous insects on weedy mango trees. Pollinating insects visiting mango flowers in the weed treatment were significantly greater, as well as spiders on weedy mango trees. However, there were more lacewings (Neuroptera) observed on the mango trees without weeds, and leaf chlorophyll in the old and new mango leaves was significantly greater, in the weed-free treatment. Soil conditions, however, significantly improved in soil carbon and a greater pH reduction in the presence of weeds, though weeds affected neither soil nitrogen, phosphorous, nor chlorophyll in productive green leaves. These results show that a tolerable level of selective weed species’ presence may benefit insect, plant, and soil biodiversity in farms. This is important in increasing production, sustainability, and biodiversity in agriculture, which otherwise may be deficient in non-crop life.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Weeds Enhance Insect Diversity and Abundance and May Improve Soil Conditions in Mango Cultivation of South Florida

Kleiman

Koptur²

2023

Insects

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“…The demand of pollination in today's landscapes in many areas however, is rising faster than the increase in honeybee colonies (Potts et al, 2010b). Wild pollinators can augment the performance of managed bees and sometimes surpass it (Garibaldi et al, 2013;Monasterolo et al, 2022), and there is now clear evidence that restoring natural diversity in intensely-managed landscapes may be required for honeybees as well. Natural and semi-natural habitats can improve nutritional intake and provide diverse resources during times of food scarcity in predominantly monofloral environments.…”

Section: Habitat Lossmentioning

confidence: 99%

One for all and all for one: a review on the commonality of risk to honeybees and wild pollinators and the benefits of beekeepers in conservation

Oddie,

Dahle

2024

Front. Bee Sci.

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Pollinator declines across the globe are centrally driven by a synergistic interaction between intensive land use, pesticides, and climate change. Competition between managed and wild pollinators has been a growing topic of research, however the ensuing social conflict builds antagonism between beekeepers and conservationists, two parties that have an interest in protecting natural diversity for pollinators. The threats perpetuating this potential for competition are as real for managed bees as wild species and uniting both groups, wherever possible, can create long lasting and meaningful change in current agricultural practices. This review examines the most recent literature on pollinator competition and the common threats that drive it. It also delves into the social elements of beekeeping and examines the potential for beekeepers to contribute to the protection of natural habitats. Beekeepers have a genuine interest to preserve natural space and with their charismatic species, dutiful observations, and innovative techniques, they can be valuable assets in filling knowledge gaps and generating public interest. Pollinator strategies in the future should include beekeepers as key stakeholders if their impacts are to be improved.

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“…Including fruit that is too small or light, or otherwise unsuitable for the market in calculations of pollinator dependence ratios and resulting economic valuations will underestimate the economic value of pollinators to food crops in cases where fruit quality, or price band, is improved by pollination. Likewise, the benefit of pollinators to yield can be overestimated if quality metrics are not considered where high densities of pollinators have detrimental impacts on fruit quality (Aizen et al, 2014;Monasterolo et al, 2022;Sáez et al, 2014). In 2020, UK raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production was valued at £133.3 million, 12.8% of total UK fruit production value for that year and the third largest income for a single type of fruit behind strawberries and dessert apples (Defra, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of multi‐year studies and commercial yield metrics in measuring pollinator dependence ratios: A case study in UK raspberries Rubus idaeus L.

Ryan

Dicks

Shutt

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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The benefit of pollinators to crop production is normally calculated using “pollinator dependence ratios,” which reflect the proportion of yield lost (here reported as a value between 0 and 1) in the absence of pollinators; these ratios are quantified experimentally using pollinator exclusion experiments. Pollinator dependence ratio estimates can vary considerably for a single crop, creating large, frequently overlooked, uncertainty in economic valuations of pollinators. The source of this variation is usually unclear. We experimentally measured the pollinator dependence ratio of two UK commercial cultivars of raspberry Rubus idaeus L . , using a range of yield metrics—fruit set, marketable fruit set, fruit weight, and marketable fruit weight—over 3 years (2019–2021), to quantify the effects of yield metric, interannual variation, and cultivar on pollinator dependence ratio estimates. We found a difference in the pollinator dependence ratio for fruit set of 0.71 between 2019 and 2020, showing the importance of carrying out exclusion studies over multiple years. Averaged over multiple years and two cultivars, the dependence ratio was 0.68 measured using marketable fruit set and 0.64 using marketable fruit weight. Imposing a quality threshold (size and shape) below which fruits would not be of commercial value (marketable fruit set/weight) dramatically increased both the pollinator dependence ratio and subsequent economic valuations of pollination service derived from it. Our study shows that, for raspberry, estimates of the pollinator dependence ratio, and therefore, the economic value of insect pollinators, are highly sensitive to the choice of yield metric and can change between years and cultivars. Many economic decisions about pollinator management, at farm, regional and national scales rely on estimates of pollinator dependence. We, therefore, recommend that for estimating pollinator dependence ratios, pollinator exclusion studies are conducted over three or more years and use yield metrics that incorporate quality criteria linked to actual market values and commercial thresholds.

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Native pollinators increase fruit set while honeybees decrease the quality of mandarins in family farms

Cited by 12 publications

References 31 publications

Weeds Enhance Insect Diversity and Abundance and May Improve Soil Conditions in Mango Cultivation of South Florida

Weeds Enhance Insect Diversity and Abundance and May Improve Soil Conditions in Mango Cultivation of South Florida

One for all and all for one: a review on the commonality of risk to honeybees and wild pollinators and the benefits of beekeepers in conservation

The importance of multi‐year studies and commercial yield metrics in measuring pollinator dependence ratios: A case study in UK raspberries Rubus idaeus L.

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