Opera&on Pollinator Improving & Enhancing Natural Habitats for Pollinators. Caydee Savinelli, Ph.D. Pollinator & IPM Stewardship Lead

Transcription

1 Opera&on Pollinator Improving & Enhancing Natural Habitats for Pollinators Caydee Savinelli, Ph.D. Pollinator & IPM Stewardship Lead

2 Importance of Pollinators 1 out of every 3 mouthfuls of food we eat is facilitated by insect pollina&on ~70% of top 100 food and fiber crops rely on insect pollina&on ~90% of wild plants use insect pollina&on for reproduc&on.

3 Value of Pollinators Global value of pollina&on - $ billion/year In the United States Honey bees = $14.6 billion Na&ve bees = $3 billion There is a recognized need to develop strategies in order to support bees on farms and other landscapes that Source: Status of Pollinators in North America (2007)

4 Na&ve Bees & Crop Pollina&on 4,000 species of na&ve bees in the United States Many are very efficient crop pollinators Build it, and they will come Habitat Flowers - Nectar, Pollen Nes&ng Sites

5 Integrated Crop Pollina&on Requires an understanding of the different aspects and interac&ons of crop pollina&on. Alterna&ve managed bees Na&ve bees Plant Adrac&veness to bees Pes&cide Stewardship Honey bees Habitat Integrated Crop Pollina0on Landscape Management Agronomic prac&ces

6 Loss of Pollinator Habitat Loss of natural habitat, namely food and nes&ng areas, is a key factor in pollinator popula&on decline. Field margins, riparian forest buffers, hedgerows, and windbreaks make great habitats for bees and other pollinators.

7 What is Opera&on Pollinator? Syngenta global program Restore pollinator popula&ons on farms and other landscapes by crea&ng essen&al habitats. Based on scien&fic research plant mixtures, plot maintenance & pollinator popula&ons. U&lizes prac&cal, cost- effec&ve prac&ces that addresses pollinator needs at a local level.

8 Why do we need Opera&on Pollinator? Challenges for global agriculture are increasing. Con&nual loss of habitat and biodiversity. Growing popula&on requires more efficient food produc&on. Mee&ng the demand with crops that require insect pollina&on. Increase in crop produc&vity while improving ecosystems is essen&al.

9 Global Habitat Restora&on Program Main Features of the Global Program Plant field margins with floral habitat to increase abundance of na&ve pollinators. Produce bee habitat protocols. Monitor effects on bee abundance. Work with farmers, NGOs, private industry & government. Goal: 25,000 + acres of pollinator habitat. Demonstrates that Biodiversity & Agriculture can coexist

10 Opera&on Pollinator - Europe Scien0fic Project Roll- out in UK Roll- out across Europe Increased Bumblebee numbers up to 600% over crop Regenera&on of the rare Bombus ruderatus Buderflies rose 12 fold Other pollina&ng insects rose 10 fold 570 Farmers joined Over 1000 ha s of margins Partnerships incl. Sainsbury s Linkage to UK Environmental Stewardship Schemes Already 16 countries joined Objec&ve 10,000 ha of margins Partnerships w. Governments, Universi&es, Food Chain etc.

11 Opera&on Pollinator - U.S. Project Goals Research based strategies for building bee habitat into farmland. Evaluate regional seed mixes for increasing pollinators and crop pollina&on. Measure benefits and costs of this approach. Aden&on to economics for farmers Delivery through demonstra&on, educa&on and collabora&ons. Facilitate broader grower adop&on and awareness in key agricultural areas of the U.S.

12 Opera&on Pollinator in the U.S. Agriculture Sector Research conducted in three key regions for pollinator- dependent crops California, Florida, Michigan Annual and perennial mixes Basic and diverse plant mixes

13 Advantages of Na&ve Plants Enhance na&ve biodiversity Adapted to local climate Provide habitat stability Na&ve Seeds from Applewood Seed Co.,

14 Opera&on Pollinator Site Establishment Site Planning Non crop areas or field borders Full sun and water Site Prepara&on & Establishment No &ll or minimum &ll in fine, firm seedbed Plant perennials and annuals in separate strips. Maintenance Mowing helps to disperse seeds Weed control for compe&&ve grasses.

15 Opera&on Pollinator Results Agriculture Sector Na&ve Plants Plots: Provided significantly greater floral resources throughout the season in all regions. Adracted significantly more bees and more bee species throughout the season in CA and FL.

16 Opera&on Pollinator Results Agriculture Sector Bee communi&es differed among regions. Season- long bloom and diversity of flower mixes was necessary to support diverse bee communi&es which changed composi&on during the season.

17 Opera&on Pollinator - Next Steps Agriculture Sector Iden&fy and work with farmers to u&lize marginal lands for plan&ng bee habitats. Opera&on Pollinator Centers of Influence Ducks Unlimited, Delta F.A.R.M. Government Agencies

18 Opera&on Pollinator - Golf Opera&on Pollinator is advancing sustainable golf course management while improving and enhancing the natural habitat for pollinators. Introduce na&ve wildflowers to adract bees and other pollina&ng insects to out- of- play areas of the golf course.

19 Opera&on Pollinator Turf Research University of Kentucky Five golf courses Lexington, KY University of Kentucky's Turfgrass Research Facility.

20 Syngenta & Marriod Collabora&on Marriod Golf has agreed to establish and maintain 14 Opera&on Pollinator sites. Syngenta provides guidance on Opera&on Pollinator establishment and maintenance. Applewood Seed provides the seed mixture. Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, AZ

21 Benefits for everyone

22 Golf Course Benefits Raising the profile of the club A sense of pride and mo&va&on Promote good management prac&ce Greater engagement with club members Building environmental management skills Recogni&on through environmental awards

23 Connect with the community Invite local schools to get involved with management and monitoring Engage with local environmental groups Open days / course walks Breakfast mee&ngs or evening educa&onal seminars

24 Opera&on Pollinator Opera&on Pollinator - feeding bees & protec&ng the environment for over 10 years Collaborators University of California, Davis University of Florida University of Kentucky Michigan State University Applewood Seed Company Marriod Golf

25 Opera&on Pollinator For more informa&on visit Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC. P.O. Box 18300, Greensboro, NC Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. Operation Pollinator and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.