YOUR PRODUCTION
Honey bees are a key pollinator on orchards.
Survey of orchadists reveals awareness of the value of pollination is high BY WENDY WILKINS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT MANAGER, SWCC
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survey of twenty orchardists in the South West Natural Resource Management Region found that only 5% of those surveyed described their understanding of pollination of their crop as “poor” with threequarters saying they encourage pollinators such as insects and birds onto their properties, mainly by maintaining “weeds” in their inter-rows.
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WA Grower WINTER 2020
The survey is part of a five-year project being undertaken by the South West Catchments Council (SWCC) that works with farmers to improve the pollination services provided by beneficial insects and other pollinators through revegetation programs that enhance food availability for pollinators.
Revegetation is designed to improve pollination services and biodiversity, ensuring the farm is more resilient and can better withstand the impacts of climate change. SWCC Project Manager, Wendy Wilkins, who is working with three orchardists — two in Balingup and one in Winnejup — said the survey was designed to gauge producers’ current knowledge and attitudes to pollination and integrated
3 HOVERFLIES and flies are important pollinators in orchards.
