Abstract
The continuing pollinator crisis is due, in part, to the lack of year-round floral resources. In intensive farming regions, such as the Upper Midwest (UMW) of the USA, natural and pastoral vegetation largely has been replaced by annual crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), soyabean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum spp.). Neither the energy (nectar) nor protein (pollen) needs of pollinating and other beneficial insects are being met sufficiently by the new, high-intensity, agricultural landscape. Several potentially useful oilseed crops can be grown in the UMW, and many of these oilseeds are highly attractive to beneficial insects. Prior research showed that some of these oilseeds produced abundant nectar, but their corresponding values for pollen production are unknown. Accordingly, the aim of our research was to document pollen (and protein) production per unit area of twelve oilseed crops grown in Minnesota and associate these values with levels of beneficial insect visitation during anthesis. Our results show that oilseed crops such as camelina (Camelina sativa L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) produce relatively little pollen (≤40 kg/ha); borage (Borago officinalis L.), calendula (Calendula officinalis L.), canola (Brassica napus L.), crambe (Crambe abyssianica Hochst) and cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. × Cuphea lanceolata W. T. Aiton) produce bountiful pollen resources (50–150 kg/ha); and oilseed echium (Echium plantagineum L.) generates massive amounts of pollen (>400 kg/ha), about 50% of which is protein. Our study is unique in presenting a season-long perspective of pollen production in alternative oilseed crops, a resource valuable to pollen-feeding insects such as managed and wild bees. Diversification of UMW landscapes that includes alternative oilseed crops such as oilseed echium and cuphea can potentially provide a ready source of pollen and protein to help combat pollinator decline.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 211-222 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Applied Entomology |
| Volume | 142 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We want to thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture national Institute of Food and Agriculture Award 2012-67009-20272 for funding of this research, USDA Agricultural Research Service National Program Staff, and the moral support from the Minnesota Honey Producers Association. We personally thank C. Hennen and S. Larson for establishing and maintaining the farm research plots; G. Smith, J. Oldakowski and D. Danforth for help in the field; R. Gardner, L. Earley and T. Sorenson for help in the laboratory; and J. Eklund and D. Peterson for considerable assistance in the design and execution of this work.
Funding Information:
We want to thank the U.S. Department of Agriculture national Institute of Food and Agriculture Award 2012-67009-20272 for funding of this research, USDA Agricultural Research Service National Program Staff, and the moral support from the Minnesota Honey Producers Association. We personally thank C. Hennen and S. Larson for establishing and maintaining the farm research plots; G. Smith, J. Oldakowski and D. Danforth for help in the field; R. Gardner, L. Earley and T.?Sorenson for help in the laboratory; and J. Eklund and D. Peterson for considerable assistance in the design and execution of this work.
Publisher Copyright:
Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Keywords
- Agroecology
- Apis mellifera L.
- cover crops
- hymenoptera
- natural enemies
- nutrition
