Abstract
Simple SummaryPollinators are essential to produce fruits in apple production. Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming season, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. Hedgerows and flower strips are infrequently sprayed by pesticides and are thus potentially good shelter for bumble bees. This study evaluated the influence of landscaping in the form of hedgerows and flower strips on the abundance and number of bumble bee species found in apple orchards. The number of bumble bee species found in orchards with hedgerows or flower strips was higher than in orchards without such landscape enhancements. Similarly, three species were more abundant in orchards with landscaping than orchards without those enhancements. Our work provides additional evidence that landscaping in the form of hedgerows and/or flower strips improves bumble bee presence in apple orchards and should therefore be considered as a means to enhance and ensure pollination within farms.Bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in orchards during the blooming period, yet they are often threatened by the high levels of pesticide use in apple production. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of landscape enhancements (e.g., hedgerows, flower strips) on bumble bee queens in apple orchards. Bumble bee queens from 12 orchards in southern Québec (Canada) were marked, released, and recaptured in the springs and falls of 2017 to 2019. Half of the 12 orchards had landscape enhancements. Apples were harvested in 2018 and 2019 to compare their quality (weight, diameter, sugar level, and seed number) in sites with and without landscape enhancements. Species richness, as well as the occurrence of three species out of eight, was higher in orchards with landscape enhancements than in orchards without such structures. The occurrence of Bombus ternarius was lower in orchards with high levels of pesticide use. Apples had fewer seeds when collected in orchards with landscape enhancements and were heavier in orchards that used more pesticides. Our work provides additional evidence that landscape enhancements improve bumble bee presence in apple orchards and should therefore be considered as a means to enhance pollination within farms.
Highlights
Apples are one of the most widely eaten fruits on the planet [1]
We found no effect of the covariates we considered on the site occupancy of B. borealis, B. rufocinctus, and B. citrinus
We found no effect of landscape enhancements on apple characteristics, except for the number of apple seeds which was lower at sites with landscape enhancements
Summary
Apples are one of the most widely eaten fruits on the planet [1]. The adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” may have contributed to the fruit’s popularity, but in terms of health benefits, there is some truth in the saying. Apples are well known for their nutritional properties, such as high antioxidant levels, antiproliferative activity, inhibition of lipid oxidation, and cholesterol-lowering effects [2,3]. Global apple production totaled around 85 million tons in 2018, surpassed only by bananas and watermelons [1]. While China and the United States are, respectively, the two biggest apple producers, Canada lies in the top 35 apple-producing countries worldwide [1]. In Canada, the volume of apples produced in 2018 was by far greater than that of all other fruit crops [4]
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