Impact of Farming Practices and the Diversity and Richness of Bee Populations on Selected Crop in Arkansas Agricultural Farms

Commodities

Practices

This project addresses Focus Area 1: Beneficial Insect Habitat to keep and enhance populations of native beneficial insects living on the farm. Fruit and vegetable farmers must develop an integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) program to optimize fruit and vegetable production. The first step in developing such a program is to establish the abundance and richness of pollinators. Without a baseline population to which comparisons can be made, the impacts of management decisions regarding crops planted, tillage and soil management, and pest management activities cannot be determined.

Understanding the effect of specific cropping practices, including crop rotations, will inform farmers about the impacts of these practices on their pollinator populations. Pollinators show different characteristics for their foraging habitats based on habitat size, shape, environmental factors, and site management (Mader et al., 2011). Except for honey bees, other bees reside close to foraging areas (Mader, et al., 2011). Altering planting location, even if only a short distance on the same farm may have detrimental effects on pollination by native pollinators.

Finally, once pollinators have been successfully recruited to crop flowers, they need to be protected during the bloom period. Growers must simultaneously balance pest management and pollination needs by altering the timing and conditions of pesticide applications and avoiding synergisms between simultaneously applied products. Because these complex interactions among pests, pesticides, and pollinators have the potential to affect both pollinator health and pollen limitation through numerous pathways, they are a significant determinant of specialty crop yields. To develop integrated pest and pollinator management programs (IPPM), pest thresholds and pesticide application recommendations need to consider both pollinator health and pollination success. However, if growers do not know the available species of pollinators in their fields, they may miscue the IPPM in their fields.

In Objective 1, we will choose two farms where one will plant watermelons on the field and the other will plant vegetables for over thirty years, respectively. Mr. Thomas’ farm has planted watermelons every year, but Mr. Walker’s farm will plant soybeans and other vegetables. We will collect the established pollinators in each field. These farms are apart three kilometers from each other. We will compare pollinators’ richness and abundance in each field. The results from each farm will be investigated and show different or similar species for pollination and find out the characteristics of the predominant trend in species.

We will plant the same growing plants during the second year and repeat pollinator collections from the same farm. We will record pollinator activity in the fields, find out predominant pollinators in the selected fields and maintain better habitats for the pollinators.

In Objective 2, we will set up UAPB Experimental Farm (Pine Bluff, Jefferson County) with two plots. This area does not have a long history of establishing biased or predominant species, compared to the fields of Objective 1. Plot 1 will plant watermelons, and Plot 2 will plant crops, such as soybeans or vegetables, during the first year. During the second year, plot 1 will plant crops, and Plot 2 will plant watermelon. The experimental plots in the UAPB will provide 1) insight into whether the pollinators are influenced by the location of the foraging plants or not and 2) whether the presence of pollinators’ species has been affected by plants or not. We will collect pollinators and compare the diversity and abundance of the pollinators.

The results will provide farmers and growers with what kind of pollinators are present and pollinator management in their farms. The project will explain how bees bring back to their site to gather pollen and breed their offspring, based on flower consistency, that they repeatedly visit one continuous plant species on any given foraging trip. Objective 1 (Altheimer, Jefferson Co., AR) will give data on predominant and abundant pollinator species between watermelon and crops. Alternatively, the UAPB experimental fields will give the possibility of the relocation of pollinators when the plot changes to other flowers. Pollinators show different characteristics for their foraging habitats based on habitat size, shape, environmental factors, and site management (Mader et al., 2011). Except for honey bees, other bees reside close to foraging areas (Mader, et al., 2011).

Growers may simultaneously balance pest management and pollination needs by altering the timing and conditions of pesticide applications and avoiding synergisms between simultaneously applied products. Because these complex interactions among pests, pesticides, and pollinators have the potential to affect both pollinator health and pollen limitation through numerous pathways, they are a significant determinant of specialty crop yields. To develop integrated pest and pollinator management programs (IPPM), pest thresholds and pesticide application recommendations need to consider both pollinator health and pollination success. However, if growers do not know the available species of pollinators in their fields, they may miscue the IPPM in their fields.

This project addresses Beneficial Insect Habitat to keep and enhance populations of native beneficial insects living on the farm. Research and Extension Program will include factors that influence pollinators' abundance, diversity, and health in different farmlands and the development, implementation, and evaluation of management practices between two different farmlands that ensure better protection of pollinators and other beneficial species. Long-term improvement in both pollinator health and fruit crop pollination will be achieved through the knowledge generated by this research and through communication and outreach efforts to growers.

Insect collection: It is important to know what kinds of pollinators are present in the different fields. We will collect insects and use three different methods to collect insects visiting each field: a) netting, b) soapy water trap, and c) blue vane trap.

We will collect any insects in the fields but focus on pollinators by 1) species richness (number of bee species present at a site) and 2) species abundance (number of individuals of each species collected per unit of effort/time). The collection of soapy water traps and blue vane traps will be set up two days per week to collect pollinators. The project chooses two different farms, which have been in operation for many years in Altheimer, AR, cultivated watermelon on one farm and the second farm with diversified crops. Two newly developed fields at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Experiment Station will be planted with similar watermelons and crops for comparison.

Bees and other insects will be netted flying near watermelon blossoms and crop blossoms or landing on blossoms. The soapy water traps will cover small bees and insects we may miss collection by netting. We also set up blue vane traps to collect larger bees and other insects. These three different collecting methods will provide information on species richness and abundance in the selected fields.

Netting will consist of all insects (honey bees, native bees, and other insects). The 15-minute timed collections give us information on bee abundance (numbers of individuals of different species) per unit time as well as species richness. Timed collections will allow us to compare overall bee abundance among watermelon and crop fields and the relative abundance of native vs. honey bees within two different fields. The netting will be made two times per week and three times per visit at 8:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 5:00 pm.

A 5% soapy water trap will be used in 10 white bowls (3.25 oz Solo cups) and will be placed between plants of each field 25 meters long.

Five blue vane traps will be set up for two days weekly during the blossoming period. The methods of collection will cover continuous time and can be used to compare two different fields.

Objective 1: Investigating bee foraging activity related to specific plants:

We will choose two farms where one will plant watermelons on the field and the other will plant vegetables. Mr. Thomas' farm has planted watermelons every year, but Mr. Walker’s farm will plant soybeans and other vegetables. We will collect the established pollinators in each field. These farms are 2 kilometers apart from each other. We will compare pollinators’ richness and abundance in each field. The results will be investigated and show different or similar species for pollination and will reveal the characteristics of the predominant trend in species. The same crops will be planted on each farm during the second year with repeat pollinator collections from each farm. We will record pollinator activity in the fields, monitor if there will be an increase in production, and establish habitats for the pollinators.

Data Collection 1: The project team will collect pollinators in watermelon and crop fields. The investigation will show that there may be a diversity and/or richness of pollinators between the different but adjacent fields each other. We will collect samples by netting, soapy water traps, and blue vane traps. The netting and soapy water traps will start blooming until the major harvest ends in 2025 and 2026.

Objective 1 focuses on pollinators’ diversity in the watermelon and crop fields where a specific plant and vegetables were over 30 years old. The watermelon will be Mr. Thomas’ farm (30 acres) and Mr. Walker’s vegetable farm (6 acres) in Altheimer, AR. We may collect what kinds of pollinators are present on each farm and may discover that different pollinators are more dominant than others.

All collections will record location, time of day, weather conditions, and collector. Specimens will include standard insect label information. Specimens will be determined to species using relevant taxonomic keys to bees by the Discover Life website (discoverlife.org), or by comparison with authoritatively identified specimens in the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Insect Collection. A native bee specialist (Mr. Little, University of Central Arkansas) will help carefully examine the collected data and categorize the insects based on their species or other relevant characteristics. 

We will identify the patterns and correlations between insect attraction and crop characteristics using systematic observations in the field, noting the types and numbers of insects present in different crop areas. Characterization of the insects around certain crops and preferences of crops for certain insects will help stakeholders make informed decisions about crop selection and management practices to optimize pollination and overall crop health. 

Objective 2: Investigating the effect of crop rotation and compare the abundance and richness of the pollinators on the newly established fields:

We will develop two plots at the UAPB Experiment Station. Plot 1 will be planted with watermelons, Plot 2 with vegetable crops during the first year, Plot 1 crop, and Plot 2 watermelons during the second year. Each plot will consist of 5 rows with 20 plants per row. The experimental plots on the UAPB Experiment Station will provide insight into whether the pollinators are influenced by the location of the foraging plants.

Data Collection 2: The PI and a graduate student will collect data on bee visitation and abundance in watermelon and vegetable crop fields at the UAPB Experiment Station during the growing season. Newly planted fields with watermelon and vegetable farm locations will set up the UAPB Experimental field. Samples will be collected during the flowering period in 2025, and 2026 using the methods described above. The sizes of the fruit-growing field and the vegetable crop will be planted watermelon, and vegetables in 5 x 50-meter rows (20 plants/each row), respectively. Each plot will be located at least two kilometers apart from each other. Collecting methods will be the same as objective 1.