Altering crop management practices to promote pollinators

Agricultural intensification, or the increase in crop production per unit of input or land area to meet the needs of a growing population, has resulted in a landscape dominated by large scale monoculture cropping. Pollinators, specifically, are impacted by the lack of diverse floral and habitat resources associated with this type of farming. Agriculture must develop practices that diversify the crop landscape and increase the availability of habitat and flowering resources to support these populations. In this chapter, we summarize the available literature on how the production space, i.e., within a crop production field, orchard, or pasture, can be more effectively managed to sustain pollinator populations. We report on various spatial and temporal approaches within the context of various cropping systems (row crops, specialty crops, perennial orchards, and perennial forage and pasture systems). Collectively, these approaches represent opportunities to re-introduce diversity into the agricultural landscape to benefit pollinators.

Agricultural intensification, or the increase in crop production per unit land area, has resulted in high-input, large-scale monoculture cropping and overall declines in crop diversity in the USA (Aguilar et al., 2015) and greater homogeneity in the crops grown across regions at a global scale (Martin et al., 2019). This has often resulted in agricultural landscapes devoid of the habitat and floral resources needed to sustain pollinators. In addition to a reduction in crop diversity, the intensified use of agrochemical inputs reduces populations of flowering weeds that can provide floral resources for pollinators and introduces compounds into the environment found to be toxic to sensitive pollinator species (van der Slujis et al., 2013). Modern crop production systems are, thus, thought to contribute to declines in pollinator populations that we rely on for the pollination of economically important crops and wild plants.

To address this pressing issue, agriculture must develop practices that diversify the agricultural landscape to enhance the availability of floralresources and habitat within the crop production space. This approach, known as land sharing, is in contrast to the land sparing paradigm where natural lands are set aside for conservation purposes and are distinct management units from agricultural lands (Phalan et al., 2011). The land-sharing paradigm, however, is thought to be a more realistic approach given the demands a growing Altering crop management practices to promote pollinators Altering crop management practices to promote pollinators Chapter taken from: Kevan, P. and Willis Chan, D. S. (ed.), Promoting pollination and pollinators in farming pp. 283–304, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2023, (ISBN: 978 1 80146 098 9; www.bdspublishing.com) 2 Altering crop management practices to promote pollinators Published by Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited, 2023. population has placed on agricultural lands and the benefits that increased biodiversity has on agroecosystems and agricultural production (Tscharntke et al., 2005, 2012).

Another chapter discusses in more detail the management of field margins, wildflower strips, or other adjacent and surrounding habitat to crop fields that contribute to landscape diversity and enhanced pollinator resources. In this chapter, the focus is on approaches to enhance plant diversity within the crop production space. Approaches by which this can be achieved include in-field practices such as the planting of flowering cover crops between crop rotations, intercropped with cash crops, or in place of a cash crop, planting of diverse perennial forages that also provide floral resources, and maintaining flowering weed communities if they pose little threat to crop production

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Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing is an award winning independent publisher founded by Rob Burleigh and Francis Dodds in 2015. Our mission is to bring you the key research and latest trends to empower you to make a positive impact on sustainable agriculture, climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. More information at www.bdspublishing.com.  

Insect pollinators are crucial for UK agriculture, enabling vital crop pollination for increased yields and quality. Crops like apples, pears, and oilseed rape rely on bees, butterflies, and more. With billions in economic contribution, conserving these pollinators through habitat preservation and reduced pesticides is essential for sustained agricultural success and biodiversity.

It has been reported that up to 95% of all flowering plants require the services of other organisms to move pollen from male to female flower parts during the pollination process. These organisms, including bees, are collectively known as pollinators. However, in light of the growing evidence of global declines in pollinator species, the management, ecology and conservation of wild and managed pollinators is a subject of growing importance and research activity.

This chapter provides an overview of the history of pollination biology, it begins by discussing the basics of pollination and goes on to discuss pollinators and their diversity. Sections also cover the ecology and evolution of floral traits, domestication and its impact on plant-pollinator relationships and how pollinators can impact agriculture. A section on modern agriculture and pollinators is also provided.