Simulation models to predict pollination success in apple orchards: a useful tool to test management practices.

SÁEZ, AGUSTÍN; DI VIRGILIO, AGUSTINA; TIRIBELLI, FLORENCIA; BENOIT, GESLIN

APIDOLOGIE

EDP SCIENCES S A

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2018

0044-8435

The cultivated area of pollinator dependent crops is increasing globally, and thus many natural habitats are being replaced by cropland. This change in land use is one of the main causes of biodiversity losses, and wild pollinators in particular. As a consequence, the rear and sold of many bee species with economic purposes for crop pollination is increasing. However, the spatial arrangement of colonies of managed bee species in crops, as well as the spatial design of plants within plantation to maximize pollen flows is not standardized and growers are still experimenting. Here we propose a spatially explicit simulation model to test which is the spatial arrangement of hives and plants that maximizes the pollination service. We used apple orchard pollinated by honey bees as a case study. We found that the spatial arrangement of plants within plantations affects both the mean level and homogeneity of the pollination in apple orchards. Bee hives location, on the other hand, only affected the mean levels of pollination. Our results showed that simulation models are powerful tools to provide management recommendation to farmers.