Bees

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Pollination is a very important part of the lifecycle of plants. Without pollination, there would be no fruits or seeds. This is the main reason why it is necessary to plan the pollination of crops ahead for growing blueberries or other berry varieties. The way this pollination process is carried out will have direct impact on production volume, berries size, ripening uniformity, and a lower fungi incidence in plants, which affect fruit production.

There are different types of pollination, of which “entomophily” is the most efficient and widespread in agriculture.

ENTOMOPHILY

It is the type of pollination carried out by the action of insects (bees, bumblebees, ants, among others). In this process, pollinating insects visit the flowers to collect their nectar and/or pollen, and by doing so, the pollen sticks to their bodies and is transferred to the next flower they visit.

For example, when bees look for nectar, they rub the stigma inside the flower, and the pollen adheres to their bodies. Some bee species cause flowers to vibrate with the buzzing of their flight while they collect pollen (“sonication”), thus shaking off the pollen form the anthers, which makes the collection process easier.

POLLINATION WITH HONEY BEES IN BLUEBERRY CULTIVATION

Honey bees are the most abundant and common species of bees, distributed all over the planet. According to many studies and trials, pollination by honey bees has a direct positive impact within its action range, which is estimated to be about 3–5 km, and may even extend to 8 km.

It is worth noting that a blueberry plant produces an important number of flower buds every year, and every flower is a potential berry or fruit, that is why the pollination process is crucial.

Pollination is currently carried out using hives with an average population of 20,000–30,000 individuals each, using 5–10 hives per hectare.

Among the main direct benefits, it is worth noting:

  • Up to 30% volume increase compared to hiveless crops.
  • Bigger fruit/berry size.
  • Lower fungi incidence.

CARE AND PRECAUTIONS

When using bees for the pollination process, measures should be taken in order to ensure people’s safety as well as the survival of bee populations.

Among the most important are:

  • Appropriate signposting in all places where there are hives.
  • Definition and training on procedures for taking action in case of running into a swarm of bees and minimizing the risk of these encounters.
  • Full identification of workers, considering allergies to bee stings.
  • Having the appropriate medicines and contingency plans in case of bee stings.
  • Maintenance and implementation of permanent integrity procedures for hives.
  • Adoption of environment-friendly crop management technologies, so as not to affect bee populations.
  • Manufacturing and implementation of contingency plans for low flowering periods.