How One Entomologist Learned to Appreciate the Little Things (Microbes) in Life
Meet Jake Cecala, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, studying bee-microbe associations and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
Next Time You Eat a Kiwifruit, Don’t Thank a Bee
Honey bees and bumble bees excel at pollinating wide varieties of plants and crops, but kiwifruit is not one of them. A study investigating kiwifruit pollination methods found fruit developed on barely 3 percent of bee-pollinated flowers, leaving artificial pollination (by human hand) as the primary choice for kiwifruit growers.
Evidence for Biodiversity Insurance Hypothesis: More Species Are Indeed Beneficial
A multi-year study of wild bee species pollinating fruit crops finds significant variance year-to-year in the species mix and more species needed to maintain threshold pollination levels over multiple years than in any single year. The analysis offers clear evidence that greater biodiversity yields greater ecosystem resilience.
A New, Colorful Way to Attract Pollinators to Crops
Could specialty cut flowers grown in high tunnels attract pollinators to nearby agricultural crops—and provide growers with a supplemental income source? A research team in Wyoming finds promising results.