Farming for bees: sustainable pollination on your farm

1. Farming for bees: sustainable pollination on your farm Rufus Isaacs & Julianna Tuell Department of Entomology, Michigan State University

2. 72% of crop plants require bee-mediated pollination 35% of human food is dependent upon bees for pollination Klein et al. 2006

4. Why consider native bees for crop pollination? • 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’

5. Pollinator diversity to ensure crop pollination 10 year blueberry yields – my fictional data!!

6. Agricultural landscapes Michigan Agricultural Landscapes • Landscape provides • Flowering plants • Nesting sites

7. Varying intensity of crop management

8. Response of native bees to agricultural intensification • Unmanaged land generally benefits native bee communities Kremen 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 declinesKevan 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

9. 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

10. Research questions • Which species of native bee are present in blueberry fields? • How do local habitat type and management intensity in and around blueberry fields influence native bees? • Do insecticides targeted at pests after bloom affect abundance of native bees during bloom the following year?

11. Which native bees are present during blueberry bloom? Sampled twice during bloom at 15 farms in 2004, 2005, 2006 digger bees

12. Native bee abundance is affected by farm management practices 1.5 2005 Halictid bees meadows other fl crops plant sp insecticide program other native bees adj. blueberry soil cult. floral abundance treeline perimeter woods ditches Andrenid bees -1.5 -1.0 2.0

13. Many native bee species are active through the year focus on blueberry visit different species’ flowers throughout spring and summer sample time in relation to blueberry bloom

14. = Blueberry bloom Osmia bees andrenid bees halictid bees Bombus queens Bombus workers April May June July Aug Sept Overlap between pollinator activity and pest activity

15. Insecticides applied by study cooperators 2003-2005 LD50 = Dose killing 50% of worker Apis mellifera after 24 hours. Topical application method.

16. 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.

17. Native bees declined with increasing IPT scorethis trend was seen in two of three sampling years 2004 data Number of bees Number of bee species Pesticide toxicity (IPT) in previous year

18. 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.

19. Implications for bee conservation on farms • 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.

20. Midwest prairie plants most attractive to beneficial insects funded by

21. Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) • Natural enemies: • chalcid wasps, minute pirate bug, spiders • Bees: • sweat bees, digger bees, cuckoo bees, small and large carpenter bees, and bumble bees • Bloom: late July - mid August

22. Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) • Bees: • sweat bees, small carpenter bees, digger bees, bumble bees • Natural enemies: • minute pirate bug, predatory plant bug, Chalcid wasps, soldier beetle, spiders • Bloom: August – early September www.nativeplants.msu.edu

23. Bloom period Natural Native plant Bees enemies May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct «« « 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 KEY « good «« better ««« best «« ««« 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 Bloom phenology and relative attractiveness of native plants Fiedler et al. (2007) Also at: www.nativeplants.msu.edu

24. Approximate Bloom Period Native plant Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct willow, Salix spp. black chokecherry, Aronia melanocarpa wild cherry, Prunus spp. American elder, Sambucus canadensis silky dogwood, Cornus amomum golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea common ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus late figwort, Scrophularia marilandica swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata Culver's root, Veronicastrum virginicum yellow coneflower, Ratibida pinnata nodding wild onion, Allium cernuum meadowsweet, Spiraea alba yellow giant hyssop, Agastache nepetoides horsemint/spotted beebalm, Monarda punctata Missouri ironweed, Vernonia missurica cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum pale Indian plantain, Cacalia atriplicifolia boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica pale-leaved sunflower, Helianthus strumosus Riddell's goldenrod, Solidago riddellii New England aster, Aster novae-angliae smooth aster, Aster laevis Season-long bee-attractive native floral resources

25. Enhancing pollinator conservation on farmland 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 avoid bee toxic pesticides during bloom

26. 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?

27. Pollinator conservation information www.nativeplants.msu.edu More information at www.xerces.org and www.pollinator.org

28. Collaborators Anna Fiedler Doug Landis John Ascher, AMNH Mace Vaughn, Xerces Soc. Research assistants Steve Van Timmeren Jack Langdon Matthew Tuell Casey McLean Jessie Siemen Grower Cooperators Larry Bodtke Randy Bowerman Bob Carini Joe DeGranchamp Beverly DeJonge Karlis Galens R.J. Rant Dave Stansby Terry Tiles Doug Wassink Jan Woods Thanks! Funding