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Targeted precision biocontrol and pollination enhancement in organic cropping systems

Discover the impact of targeted biocontrol and improved pollination on organic farming using bee vectors. Learn about successful field trials, increased yields, and the role of different bee species in crop protection. Explore ways to optimize the entomovectoring technique for maximum effectiveness. No negative outcomes on products or environment have been reported. Important research focuses on ensuring healthy bees and improving bee foraging behavior in wind-pollinated crops.

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Targeted precision biocontrol and pollination enhancement in organic cropping systems

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  1. Targeted precision biocontrol and pollination enhancement in organic cropping systems Biocontrol + Pollination

  2. Main outcomes • Pan-European field trials have consistently shown, using strawberry as a case study, that bee-disseminated biocontrol of the grey mould provides equal or better crop protection than chemical fungicides. • In organic strawberry, marketable yields significantly increase, often by over 50 %. • Improved pollination accounts for about half of the yield increases. • Honey bees, bumble bees, and solitary bees can all be used for vectoring beneficial biocontrol microbes • Efficacy and impact of the entomovectoring technique can be improved by management of hives (size, location, and properties), vegetation management, and optimization of dispensers and properties of the microbial preparate • No negative outcomes on products (berries, bee-products) have been detected, nor on humans or non-target organisms; • The concept has proven to be effective on a wide range of crops, such as strawberries, raspberries, pears, apples, blueberries, cherries, and even grapewine

  3. Impact of bee-pollination and bee-vectored biocontrol of grey mould on the marketable strawberry yield on an organic farmHevonniemi organic farm, Vehmersalmihttp://www.hevonniemi.fi 205% 158% Healthy Mouldy 100% No mould control, No mould control Mould biocontrolno pollination bee pollination bee pollination

  4. New importantresearchquestions • Assuring the availability of healthy bees for entomovectoring, in particular honey bees free of varroa. • Investigating the behavior and visitation of bees in specific wind-pollinated crops, and possibilities to steer bee foraging activity in these crops. • Possibilities to improve bee activity and health via vegetation management (e.g., provision of flowering plants at strategically important locations and times during the year)

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