Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7618 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2017 PROTECTINGPOLLINATORS ThisseriesissponsoredbyOperationPollinator, aSyngentaglobalinitiative. WHEN EXAMINING vegetable and citrus production and the role pollina- tors play, two states automatically come to mind — California and Florida. California is one of only five agri- cultural regions in the world with a Mediterranean-growing climate, accord- ing to Farm Flavor. As such, it is respon- sible for producing two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts and more than one-third of its vegetables. On its heels is Florida. In 2015, Florida ranked second in the U.S. for value of vegetable production and first in the pro- duction value of oranges, fresh market tomatoes, watermelons, grapefruit, fresh market snap beans and fresh market cucumbers. Many fruit crops, including orchard and berry crops rely heavily on bee polli- nation. Birds, bats, butterflies, beetles and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for one out of every three bites of food, reports the Pollinator Partnership. That means that pollinators add $217 billion to the global economy, and honeybees alone are responsible for between $1.2 and $5.4 billion in agricul- tural productivity in the United States. “For some crops, the dependence is increased because varieties are self sterile and thus require cross pollina- tion,” explains Neal Williams, University of California, Davis, entomologist and bee expert. “For these crops and for melons and squashes, which have separate male and female flowers, the dependence is very high.” Vegetables generally have a much lower dependence in the marketed product; however, many of these crops are very dependent on bee pollination for seed production, he adds. Carrots, onions and cole crops, such as broccoli, are a few of these specialty seeds that often rely on bee pollination. But the sustainability of these crops could be in jeopardy, because of their reli- ance on pollinators. “Pollinator populations are changing,” according to the Pollinator Partnership. “Many pollinator populations are in decline, and this decline is attributed most severely to a loss in feeding and With every dollar spent on better understanding the needs of pollinators, new solutions are being developed. Julie Deering RESEARCHERSWORKTOHELPHIVESTHRIVE nesting habitats. Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease and changes in cli- matic patterns are all contributing to the shrinking and shifting pollinator popula- tions. In some cases, there isn’t enough data to gauge a response, and this is even more worrisome.” These factors and others contribute to what, Williams says, has become very high annual rates of mortality, often exceeding 35 percent. The changes listed above make is Commercial beekeepers must stay on their toes to manage disease and mite pressure, forage availability, nutrition and changing weather.