Location: Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research
Project Number: 2080-21000-019-102-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2024
End Date: Mar 31, 2026
Objective:
In the United States, Osmia lignaria is the dominant managed species, and has been successfully utilized in orchard pollination (primarily almonds, apples, and cherries). Osmia lignaria utilization has been particularly successful in a co-pollination strategy in almond production, where normal stocking rates of honey bees can be reduced from two colonies per acre to one colony per acre, with the addition of 1000 O. lignaria per acre alongside the honey bees. Having a combination of honey bees and Osmia lignaria has been shown to increase nut set (Pitts-Singer et al, 2018). The added pollination benefit provided by having Osmia, with good bee returns (high rates of Osmia nesting) in the field to supplement next year’s pollination, can help to reduce the overall production costs for growers, and increase farm profitability. The aim of this work is to establish additional Osmia species for commercial management targeting berry crops.
Pollination diversification has been shown to increase yields for berry crops. Native bees are generally better adapted to the local environment and can forage in more challenging conditions (e.g. lower temperatures) compared to the western honey bee (Vicens and Bosch 2000c). For example, highbush blueberry production in western North America has also been documented to have significant pollination limitations (Gibbs et al 2016), though the industry remains almost entirely reliant on commercial honey bees for pollination. Unfortunately, honey bees have relatively low fidelity to blueberry flowers (Graham et al, 2023) which leads to very high stocking recommendations (4 hives per acre). Pollination costs are therefore a substantial proportion of the production budget for blueberry growers. By providing an alternative managed species for pollination that can be utilized at a reduced cost and allow blueberry growers to reduce the number of honey bee hives per acre would provide substantial economic benefits to growers. In preliminary work in a Michigan blueberry field in 2023, O. ribifloris provisioned their nests with >90% blueberry pollen, on average (Walters, et al., unpublished). By adding Osmia ribifloris as a managed pollinator for blueberry pollination we hope to reduce the pollination limitation gap observed in western NA production, and reduce overall production costs associated with pollination. However, this species has not yet been managed at the commercial scale. Similarly, O. bruneri has shown promise as as pollinator of currants and strawberries, and O. aglaia has shown promise as a commercial pollinator of raspberries. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop management strategies to maximize pollination and bee returns (nesting in the field) of species suited to berry crop pollination, including O. ribifloris, O. bruneri, and O. aglaia.
Approach:
Research Objective 1: Develop strategies for farming Osmia ribifloris and O. bruneri to increase propagation while reducing extractive pressures on local bee populations.
Research Objective 2: Test the use of O. ribifloris and O. bruneri as managed pollinators at commercial berry farms.
Education Objective 1: Develop a community outreach program to both increase community member involvement in bee propagation strategies and community education about solitary bees.
Education Objective 2: Facilitate Farmer-to-Farmer educational outreach days to educate peers about the use of Osmia bees for crop pollination.
Education Objective 3: Create technical publications on the use of Osmia ribifloris and O. bruneri for crop pollination, and best management practices.
Education Objective 4: Create hands on video demonstrations of Osmia management techniques, available for free online.
