Understanding the nutritional landscape of blueberry pollination systems to enhance commercial honey bee colony health

Commodities

• Fruits: berries (blueberries)
• Animals: bees
• Animal Products: honey

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed/forage
• Crop Production: beekeeping, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, pollination, pollinator habitat, pollinator health, varieties and cultivars
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, extension, mentoring, on-farm/ranch research
• Production Systems: agroecosystems

Commercial blueberry pollination relies heavily on honey bees, yet beekeepers routinely report that colonies return from blueberry pollination weakened and symptomatic of stress or disease. Poor nutrition can exacerbate disease susceptibility and impair colony growth and brood development, contributing to elevated colony losses. Despite Washington's scale of blueberry production (over 18,000 acres of blueberries grown annually), we lack cultivar-specific data on pollen and nectar quality and quantity, and an understanding of what alternative forage is available to bees within these pollination landscapes.

This project will thus address these gaps in research and (1) characterize the floral resources that honey bees forage on before, during, and after blueberry blooms across four farms that vary in region (Eastern vs. Western Washington) and in the availability of nearby supplemental forage (with and without); and (2) quantify pollen and nectar nutritional metrics (protein, lipid and sugar content) for multiple blueberry cultivars. Using standardized laboratory assays and pollen identification methods, we will connect forage access and cultivar quality to indicators of colony nutritional intake.

We will translate results into practical guidance for beekeepers and growers. Deliverables include cultivar-specific recommendations for supplemental feeding, context-specific stocking-rates, and outreach through beekeeper association talks, grower field days, and research and extension publications. By improving nutrition during blueberry pollination, beekeepers can reduce risk of colony loss within the blueberry system and growers can maintain reliable pollination services. These findings will also support native wild bees in these cropping systems. These findings will support the environmental, economic, and social pillars of sustainable agriculture.

Research objectives:

Objective 1: Determine landscape and supplemental forage effects on bee nutrition during blueberry pollination.

Objective 2: Compare nutritional differences between pollen and nectar across blueberry cultivars.

Education objectives:

Objective 1: Generate applied strategies, and dissemination of results through extension and education for stakeholders.

Objective 2: Analyze and publish data to ensure access for researchers.