Pollination in the Agricultural Landscape Best Management Practices for Crop Pollination Thomas S. Woodcock Canadian Pollination Initiative (NSERC-CANPOLIN) University of Guelph © 2012 Table of Contents Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 5 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Pollination Basics.................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Basic Flower Anatomy & Function ...................................................................................... 8 1.3 Wind Pollination (Anemophily) ......................................................................................... 10 1.4 Animal Pollination (Zoophily) ............................................................................................ 11 2.0 Pollinators ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Managed Pollinators for Ontario Crops .............................................................................. 12 2.1.1 Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) ...................................................................................... 12 2.1.2 Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) ......................................................................................... 12 2.1.3 Blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria Fab.) ...................................................................... 13 2.1.4 Alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata Say) ....................................................... 15 2.1.5 Other Managed Pollinators .......................................................................................... 16 2.2 Wild Pollinators .................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Bees & Wasps .............................................................................................................. 18 2.2.2 Flies .............................................................................................................................. 18 2.2.3 Butterflies and Moths ................................................................................................... 18 2.2.4 Beetles .......................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.5 Vertebrates ................................................................................................................... 19 3.0 Best Pollination Practices for Ontario Crops .......................................................................... 20 3.1 Field Fruits & Vegetables ................................................................................................... 21 3.1.1 Field & Pickling Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) .......................................................... 21 3.1.2 Melons (muskmelon incl. honeydew, canteloupe, sweetmelon) (Cucumis melo) ....... 23 3.1.3 Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) ................................................................................... 24 3.1.4 Squash, Pumpkins, Zucchini & Other Gourds (Cucurbita spp.) ................................. 25 3.1.5 Peas (Pisum sativum) ................................................................................................... 27 3.1.6 Green Beans (Phaseolus spp.) ..................................................................................... 27 3.1.7 Broad Beans (Vicia faba) ............................................................................................. 28 3.1.8 Field Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) ................................................................ 29 2 3.1.9 Field Sweet and Hot Peppers (Capsicum annuum) ..................................................... 30 3.2 Orchard Fruit ....................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.1 Apples (Malus x domestica) ........................................................................................ 31 3.2.2 Pears (Pyrus communis) ............................................................................................... 33 3.2.3 Plums (several Prunus spp.) ........................................................................................ 34 3.2.4 Sweet Cherries (Prunus avium) ................................................................................... 36 3.2.5 Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus) ................................................................................... 37 3.2.6 Apricots (Prunus armeniaca) ...................................................................................... 38 3.2.7 Peaches & Nectarines (Prunus persica) ...................................................................... 39 3.3 Small Fruit .......................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.1 Currants & Gooseberries (Ribes spp.) ......................................................................... 40 3.3.2 Raspberries & Blackberries (Rubus spp.) .................................................................... 41 3.3.3 Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) ............................................................................ 42 3.3.4 Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum, and others) ...................................... 43 3.3.5 Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) .......................................................................... 45 3.4 Forage, Cover Crop, & Green Manure Legumes ................................................................ 46 3.4.1 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) ............................................................................................ 46 3.4.2 Clover (Trifolium spp.) ................................................................................................ 48 3.4.3 Crown vetch (Coronilla varia) .................................................................................... 50 3.4.4 Birdsfoot-Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) ........................................................................ 51 3.4.5 Lupine (Lupinus spp.) .................................................................................................. 51 3.5 Oilseeds ............................................................................................................................... 52 3.5.1 Canola (Brassica spp.) ................................................................................................. 52 3.5.2 Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) ................................................................................... 55 3.5.3 Soybean (Glycine max) ................................................................................................ 56 3.5.4 Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) .......................................................................................... 57 3.6 Greenhouse Crops ............................................................................................................... 58 3.6.1 Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) .......................................................................... 58 3.6.2 Sweet and Hot Peppers (Capsicum annuum) ............................................................... 59 3.7 Other Ontario Crops ............................................................................................................ 60 3.7.1 American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) ................................................................... 60 3 3.7.2 Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) .......................................................................... 61 3.7.3 Tree Nuts ...................................................................................................................... 62 4.0 Using Pollinators Effectively .................................................................................................. 66 4.1 Protection from weather ...................................................................................................... 66 4.2 Provision of water ............................................................................................................... 67 4.3 Habitat and off-bloom food resources for pollinators ......................................................... 68 4.4 Colony Strength and Recommended Standards .................................................................. 70 4.5 Use of pollen dispensers and inserts ................................................................................... 71 4.6 Chemical manipulation of pollinator behaviour ................................................................. 72 5.0 Pesticides and Pollinators ....................................................................................................... 74 5.1 Preventing pollinator poisoning .......................................................................................... 74 5.2 Detecting pollinator poisoning ............................................................................................ 76 5.3 Treatment of Poisoned Honey Bee Hives ........................................................................... 77 5.4 Arranging for Toxicological Analysis ................................................................................ 77 5.5 List and Relative Toxicity of Pesticides for