Title: Pollination Planning Notes and Resources for Fruit Growers
Description: David L. Green (1999)
Abstract:
Growers who wait until the last minute may lose out, when it comes to pollination of their fruit crops. As pollinator population continue to decline, and fruit plantings become larger, pollination planning is increasingly important in your total crop management. It is a tragedy to do everything else right and lose, because poor pollination is the limiting factor. And yet pollination is a relatively inexpensive input. I have seen growers use pheromonal sprays to "attract" bees that aren't there, when they could have added more bees for less cost. Dr. Malcolm Sanford says in his keystone paper: Pollination - the Forgotten Agricultural Input: "Unfortunately, much agricultural research has focused on the role of other inputs such as fertilizer, water, cultivation and insect control. In the process, that concerning pollination has often been relegated to the back burner. The myth seems to have been perpetuated that pollination would somehow take care of itself. This increasingly seems to be a misguided philosophy." His paper should be read by every farmer, extension agent, IPM advisor, produce dealer, anyone involved in fruits and veggies. It is available on the internet at:
http://apis.ifas.ufl.edu/papers/altpol.htm