Importance Pollination management

the increasing size of fields , orchards (monoculture) increase importance of pollination management. monoculture can cause brief period when pollinators have more food resources can use (but monofloral diet can reduce immune system) while other periods of year can bring starvation or pesticide contamination of food sources. nectar source , pollen source throughout growing season build numbers.

crops traditionally have had managed pollination include apple, almonds, pears, plum , cherry varieties, blueberries, cranberries, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, alfalfa seeds, onion seeds, , many others. crops have traditionally depended entirely on chance pollination wild pollinators need pollination management nowadays make profitable crop.

some crops, when planted in monoculture situation, require high level of pollinators produce economically viable crops. may because of lack of attractiveness of blossoms, or trying pollinate alternative when native pollinator extinct or rare. these include crops such alfalfa, cranberries, , kiwifruit. technique known saturation pollination. in many such cases, various native bees vastly more efficient @ pollination (e.g., blueberries), inefficiency of honey bees compensated using large numbers of hives, total number of foragers thereby far exceeding local abundance of native pollinators. in few cases, has been possible develop commercially viable pollination techniques use more efficient pollinators, rather continued reliance on honey bees, in management of alfalfa leafcutter bee.

it estimated 1 hive per acre sufficiently pollinate watermelons. in 1950s when woods full of wild bee trees, , beehives kept on south carolina farms, farmer grew ten acres (4 ha) of watermelons large grower , had pollination needed. today s grower may grow 200 acres (80 ha), and, if lucky, there might 1 bee tree left within range. option in current economy bring beehives field during blossom time.