Abstract
A present goal of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is to manage land in agricultural landscapes to increase pollinator abundance and diversity. CP42, or the pollinator seed mix, is planted and managed to support foraging pollinators with blooming flowers present at all points in the foraging season. This high-quality habitat provides an excellent opportunity to study honey bee nutrition and determine whether honey bees located near CRP sites use known resources included in planting seed mixes. This study aims to highlight the primary sources of honey bee forage in the northern Midwest as well as to assess honey bee utilization of the floral resources provided by the pollinator seed mix used for CRP plantings. We received pollen samples collected using pollen traps by beekeepers in Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Metabarcoding methods were used to identify and quantify pollen collected at different points in the season. The results indicate that honey bees frequently used major mass flowering resources such as Glycine, Trifolium, and Symphiotrichum throughout the season. In addition, flowers included in the CRP pollinator seed mix were used modestly. These results have implications for pollinator seed mix design.
Highlights
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was introduced in 1985 under the Food Security Act to promote the conversion of cropland with highly erodible soils into long-term conservation habitat [1,2,3,4].While accomplishing this goal, the CRP has provided a number of positive ecological impacts, including increased landscape diversity and reduced habitat fragmentation [2,5]
Honey bees located near CRP in the northern Midwest were found to collect pollen from a large number of genera in abundances >5%
This study identifies the floral resources most heavily utilized for pollen collection by honey bee colonies located near CRP pollinator plantings in the northern Midwest
Summary
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was introduced in 1985 under the Food Security Act to promote the conversion of cropland with highly erodible soils into long-term conservation habitat [1,2,3,4]. While accomplishing this goal, the CRP has provided a number of positive ecological impacts, including increased landscape diversity and reduced habitat fragmentation [2,5]. The CP42 seed mix was designed for pollinator enrichment plantings This mix is characterized by a high diversity of native forbs and grasses. By incorporating an array of flowers that bloom throughout the season, this management strategy aims to ensure that foraging pollinators have season-long access to pollen and nectar resources [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
