Planting wildflowers could provide a multi-million pound boost for farmers by attracting greater number of pollinators.
An AHDB funded PhD revealed crop yields on a courgette plantings were 39 per cent higher when pollinator insects like honey bees and buff-tailed bumblebees were lured by wildflowers in field margins.
The additional yield would have been worth £3.6 million to the 2017 courgette crop, with pollination services valued at around £3,400 a hectare.
The research was led by Dr Jessica Knapp from the University of Exeter who said: “We set out to develop a clear understanding of courgette pollinators’ behaviour and the crop’s requirement for pollination. These findings could also relate to all crops within the cucurbit family, such as pumpkins, watermelon, and cucumber.
“Early season courgette crops flower when bumblebee foragers are most active, which boosts the number of pollinators in the crop. Bumblebees also loosely carry pollen grains on their bodies, aiding pollination as they make visits from flower to flower.
“Notably, wildflower field margins did not create a distraction to bees’ pollination work. They are an effective way of attracting pollinators into courgette fields and will help to conserve these important agricultural species.”
The study saw pollination rates and diversity of pollinators measured across 23 different sites in Cornwall, Worcestershire and Cambridgeshire.
Results from Knapp’s work showed there was no significant difference in crop yield when humans pollinated each flower by hand, compared to natural pollination levels.
In contrast, planting wildflowers, essential to maintaining healthy bee populations, attracted bees to the crop, providing stable long-term services for zero cost.
Knapp’s research also revealed that honey bees and buff-tailed bumblebees are the most abundant pollinators of courgette, and don’t take courgette pollen back to their colonies.
Bumblebees were found to be most abundant in fields with more wildflowers present. These fields also supported other pollinators like solitary bees which, whilst not key pollinators of courgettes, are key pollinators of other crops. This is important for mixed and rotational crop farms systems.
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