Pollination of fruit trees by native bees contributes to a more sustainable agriculture in Chile
Fruits
Chile
Published May 21, 2022
Tridge summary
On Friday, May 20, World Bee Day is commemorated, established by the FAO, and which this year has as its motto "Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems". Thus, this year the date highlights not only the well-known honey bee but also the lesser-known native bees. In Chile, there are about 500 species of these pollinating insects. Most are solitary and nest on the ground, pollination being their fundamental role in ecosystems.
Original content
On Friday, May 20, World Bee Day is commemorated, established by the FAO and which this year has as its motto "Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems". Thus, this year the date highlights not only the well-known honey bee, but also the lesser-known native bees. In Chile there are about 500 species of these pollinating insects. Most are solitary and nest on the ground, pollination being their fundamental role in ecosystems. Researchers from the Agricultural Ecosystems line of the Center for Systems Biotechnology of the UNAB, Sharon Rodríguez and Isabel Acuña, work so that our bees are known and cared for and to demonstrate their contribution to fruit production. "In the case of economically important fruit trees that are pollinated by honey bees —such as almond, cherry and avocado trees— native bees can complement their work and improve production," explains Sharon Rodríguez. The researcher adds that “as important producers and exporters of fruit, we need to ...
By clicking “Accept Cookies,” I agree to provide cookies for statistical and personalized preference purposes.
To learn more about our cookies, please read our Privacy Policy.