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Use of mason bees for pollination in covered organic orchards (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)

{Tool} Use of mason bees for pollination in covered organic orchards (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract). Creator(s): Boutry, Clémence. Issuing Organisation(s): FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. Biofruitnet Practice Abstract, no. 081. (2022)

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Document available online at: https://orgprints.org/44997


Summary

Using mason bees can ensure optimal pollination in intensive fruit orchards when naturally occurring pollinators are not (yet) present or are too few.
Practical recommendations
The two most important managed wild bees for fruit crops pollination are the European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta) and the Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis), both mason bees (life cycle: see Picture 1).
Release mason bees
• Place one or more nesting boxes (Picture 2) on the inner edge and within the orchard (1 m above ground) so that they face the tree rows and can easily reach the flowers, possibly oriented south or southeast.
• Mason bees fly in a perimeter of 50-200 m, so adapt the number and placing of the nesting boxes accordingly. Around 2000 cocoons (2-3 nesting boxes) are needed to pollinate a low-stem fruit orchard of 1 ha.
• Place the overwintered cocoons in the nesting box so they are protected but can also fly out (e.g., a carton box with exit holes).
Where to get mason bees
• Subscription to mason bee rental service (check online if there is a mason bee rental service for your country, e.g., www.pollinature.net), or
• Maintain and propagate mason bees yourself.


EPrint Type:Practice tool
What problem does the tool address?:Good pollination is essential for fruit yield and quality. However, the population of bees (honeybees, wild bees), the primary pollinators, is decreasing. Pollinators are often present in too few numbers in intensive fruit orchards, also organic ones.
What solution does the tool offer?:Mason bees, which fly at lower temperatures (4°C on) compared to honeybees, are placed into the orchards just before flowering to improve pollination.
Country:Switzerland
Type of Practice Tool:Practice abstracts
Keywords:Temperate fruits, pollinators, functional biodiversity, mason bees
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
temperate fruits
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7655
English
pollinators
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6074
English
biodiversity
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33949
English
Apidae
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_865
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Production systems > Fruit and berries
Research affiliation: European Union > Horizon 2020 > Biofruitnet
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Special crops > Fruit
Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number:862850
Related Links:https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/44997, https://biofruitnet.eu, https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/40183, https://twitter.com/farm_knowledge/status/1630504446835802113, https://www.facebook.com/organicfarmknowledge/posts/pfbid0zDnVs86UsXn7y6XMt6hRoMEnZKtqszrQyVDLkCMRAD7wsU11brx1sgVbRujPmL5il
Project ID:ofk
Deposited By: Basler, Andreas
ID Code:44997
Deposited On:24 Dec 2022 14:59
Last Modified:18 Apr 2023 13:37
Document Language:English, German/Deutsch, French/Francais
Status:Published

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