'Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada'

An article published by the Canadian govenerment concerning specific pollinators in Canada along with plants that may be used to attract them can be read here...

Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada - http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aac-aafc/A59-12-2014-eng.pdf

Native Vs. Managed Pollinator Effectiveness On Haskap Study Released

The research that has been done over the past couple of years involving the  comparative pollination performances of native and managed pollinators on Haskap (Lonicera caerulea: Caprifoliaceae) has just become available online.  It can be accessed here for free until February 9th, 2016.  This research was performed by: S. Danae Frier, Christopher M. Somers, and Cory S. Sheffield (Dept. of Biology, University of Regina and Royal Saskatchewan Museum).

Title - 'Comparing the performance of native and managed pollinators of Haskap (Lonicera caerulea: Caprifoliaceae), an emerging fruit crop ' - http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0167880915301754/1-s2.0-S0167880915301754-main.pdf?_tid=be095eb2-a8c4-11e5-babf-00000aacb35e&acdnat=1450800046_d05ce7916cd1082b20538a650f9379b6ffe

Pollinators

With spring so comes buds, then leaves, then flowers.  Without insect pollinators no berry production occurs.  Here are a couple of links to articles of which haskap growers should be aware.  These cover pollination, pollinators, and bee loss...

http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/farming_for_bees_guidelines_xerces_society.pdf

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/bees-may-get-hooked-on-neonicotinoid-pesticides-1.3044237

Honeybees In Haskap Canada Member's Orchards - 2014

2014 Haskap Canada AGM (Part 3): Danae Frier & Haskap Pollination Research

Danae Frier is a M.Sc. candidate at the University of Regina. She reported on the pollination biology of Lonicera caerulea at this year's Haskap Canada AGM.

Beginning with plant structure, this provided the ground work for her to speak about the pollination possibilities.  Because of the uniqueness of haskap's two flowers eventually forming one berry study is currently under way to find more precisely the manner in which this mechanism functions. The pollination of this fruit is known to be fully insect-dependent.  The flower is bee-friendly, and given the time of flowering bumble bees and smaller native bees seem important, being inherently more cold-adapted.  Among other things, field studies this year will consider efficiency-compared-to-effectiveness of various pollinators and which factor is more important to haskap fruit pollination.  She also presented on the bumble bee life-cycle, the importance of forage establishment for year-round bee sustenance, and suitable nest sites for native pollinators.

Again, we include her presentation here and ask that if you share them that attribution is included.  Thank you...

 

http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Haskap and Blue Mason Bees

A Blue Mason Bee study is currently under way by provincial entomologists in Saskatchewan.  Currently they are checking the pollen collected from this past year in order to see how effective these are as haskap pollinators.

Diversified Pollinator Strategy

Here's a link to an article on diversified pollinator lodging entitled 'Building A Bug Mansion':

http://www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/thingstodo/inaweekend/bug-mansion.aspx 

In An Effort To Save Pollinators In Europe...

Use of neonicatinoid pesticides has now been banned in the EU in an effort to stop the decimation of its bee populations:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-457_en.htm

Coldest Spring On Record

It’s now official.  There has not been this much snow on the Canadian prairies this late in 114 years.  And furthermore, it is the coldest spring on record here.  What will that mean for haskap plants, fruit bearing, etc.?  It’s really a valuable opportunity for haskap growers to pay special attention to these and other factors regarding haskap production.  One factor will be the effect on pollination/pollinators.  Growers should pay special attention to the types of insects carrying out the bulk of this work.  Here are a couple recent articles on the demise/decimation of honeybee colonies in particular:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/06/national-beekeeper-of-year-darren-cox_n_3029773.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=europe-set-to-vote-on-pesticide-ban-to-save-honeybees

Haskap Pollination

Haskap Canada member, Hamish Graham, has been considering how to produce better pollination success in his haskap crop.  Two pollination studies have recently been published: (1) Honey Bees Make Poor Substitutes For Wild Pollinators, and (2) Farming For Bees

The new provincial entomologist, Cory Sheffield will be working to identify wild pollinators in Saskatchewan.  Current work is being done by individual Haskap Canada members to identify and nurture native pollinators for better pollination success.

Links:

http://earthsky.org/earth/honey-bees-make-poor-substitutes-for-wild-pollinators

http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/farming_for_bees_guidelines_xerces_society.pdf