Wildflowers: Habitat for Native Pollinators on the Kerr Ranch
Understanding and Managing for Native Pollinators in ...ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu › files ›...
Transcript of Understanding and Managing for Native Pollinators in ...ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu › files ›...
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Wild bee pollination at UC Davis
• Dr. Neal Williams• Wild bee contributions to crop pollination• Landscape effects on wild bee communities• Effects of habitat enhancement on bees and pollination • Plant choice for creation of bee habitat• Other impacts of pollinator enhancement, e.g.
pests/beneficial insects
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Talk Overview
• What are native bees?• Why and how are native bees important to almond
pollination?• Managing orchards to support alternative
pollinators• Alternative Managed Bees: the Blue Orchard Bee• Establishing pollinator habitat to support native bees
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What Are Native Bees?
• Bees that originate in CA • Does NOT include Honey Bee, which is from Europe
• ~ 1500 species of native bees in CA, ~450 in Sac Valley
Honey Bees:• 1 species• Social• Live in Hives• Produce Honey
Native Bees:• Many species • Typically Solitary• Many nest in twigs,
hollow stems, or underground
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Diversity of almond pollinators
Spring bee
Digger beeBumble bee
Long horned bee
Hairy-leg bee Tiny dark beeSmall dark bee
Blue orchard bee Other mason bee
Slide credit: K Ward
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Why are native bees important in an almond system?
Nut Yield and Quality
Slide credit: K Ward
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Why are native bees important in an almond system?
Pollination
Nut Yield and Quality
Slide credit: K Ward
![Page 8: Understanding and Managing for Native Pollinators in ...ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu › files › 256010.pdf · Native Pollinators in Almond Systems Kitty Bolte. khbolte@ucdavis.edu.](https://reader031.fdocuments.in/reader031/viewer/2022040616/5f1674cad5e8d0784f7bd0dc/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Why are native bees important in an almond system?
Number of Bees
Pollination per bee
X = Pollination
Nut Yield and Quality
Diagram: K Ward
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Necessity of outcrossing
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Native Bee Potential• Increasing concerns about honey bee availability and health• Synergistic effects: make honey bees more efficient pollinators• Fly in worse weather conditions
Dr. Claire Brittain
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0
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without WBs with WBs
% fr
uit s
et p
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rcha
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without WBs with WBs
% V
isits
suc
cess
ful p
ollin
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Data C. Brittain, graph from K Ward
21% 16%
Orchard Orchard
Single visit pollination by honey bees
Fruit set
Wild bees make honey bees better pollinators
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Weather conditionsNative bees and other wild pollinators willing to fly in worse weather conditions than honeybees
Data C Brittain from K Ward
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Managing for native bees in your orchard: the blue orchard bee
• Exploring potential for Blue Orchard Bees as an alternative managed bee
• Can nest in man-made nesting blocks of wood or cardboard
• ~ 800-1000 BOB females needed to pollinate one acre of almonds effectively
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Nest in provided blocks, which can be collected and
stored
Offspring in bee blocks mature
Winter: chill nest blocks to ensure
synchronous emergence
Warm cocoons and place into orchards for bees to emerge
Bees pollinate crop
Blue Orchard Bee Management
Cycle
Feb-March
April
April - September
Dec - JanuaryEarly Feb
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Benefits of adding pollinator habitat to almond systems
• Improve nest retention for Blue Orchard Bees?
• Forage for honey bee colonies before almond bloom
• Improve honey bee nutrition and health
• Forage and nesting resources for native bees
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Proportion of HB movements across vs. down the orchard rows
Key considerations
• Develop a mix that blooms at the right times (i.e. provides resources before and after almond)
• Identify plant species suitable for almond growing regions• Develop methods for establishing plantings that are cost and labor
effective
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Bee visits to almond mix
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2/22/2013 3/22/2013 4/22/2013
Num
ber o
f bee
s per
plo
t
Honey bees
Wild bees
Lost Hills 1614Honey Bee 1017Native Bee 515
BLOOM
Graph: K Ward
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Flower strips did not compete with almonds
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0 50
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ControlRestoredWildflower strip
Mid bloom
Late bloom
Distance into orchard
Alm
ond
flow
er v
isita
tion
Graph: K Ward
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Planning for wildflower plantingsSite considerations
• Space and time available• Proximity to crop• Management practices• Weed pressure• Exposure
Planting preparation
• Essential to control weeds prior to planting
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Site preparation methods
Diagram: K Ward
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Establishing wildflowers
• No cultivation is key!• At most, lightly scratch soil
prior to planting with a chain harrow
• Spread seed with a dropseederor hand-cranked seeder
• Cultipack (ring-roll) to ensure good contact with soil
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Ongoing maintenance
• Be attentive to wildflowers as they begin to grow and monitor for weeds
• Control grasses with grass-specific herbicides
• Hand-pull small patches or weeds or spray with a targeted herbicide application
• Remember that broadleaf herbicides will also harm wildflowers
• Consider spraying or mowing plot perimeter
• Plot should reseed from year to year
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Acknowledgements
• Researchers:• Neal Williams, Kimiora Ward, UCD• Theresa Pitts-Singer, USDA ARS• Claire Brittain, project ICP
• Growers:• Amy Abele, Mary Fahey, Pat and
Kim Gallagher, Dave and Diane Gilmer, Rachael Long, Wonderful Orchards, Muir Glen
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Additional Resources
• Xerces Society: regional plant lists, pollinator habitat installation guides, etc:http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/
• USDA-ARS Blue Orchard Bee Manual: http://bit.ly/2kaVca3
• Project ICP: [email protected]
Save the Date! Almond Field Day
March 22Arbuckle, CA