Bees and native pollinators are not only important to the environment, they are important to a farmer's bottom line.
Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Gregory Sekulic says when managed bees are present in canola, it can increase crop yields by five to 10 per cent, and in turn, bees produce a light, premium, and in-demand honey.
"So basically, the canola feeds the bees, and the bees increase the canola yield," he says. "About 80 per cent of Canada's honey uses canola as a feed stock."
In addition to this, Sekulic says there are a few hundred species of native pollinators that will occupy the land surrounding crop lands, many of which have a similar yield relationship as managed bees.
"So we can document pretty positive yield relationships between natural spaces close to the crop, and then the affects of those insects and those natural spaces on the crop within," Sekulic says, "so a very strong economic message for producers to conserve or even enhance those natural spaces close to their crop land for their own benefit because they're actually going to increase their yield."
Source : Portageonline