Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination

Wild andmanaged bees arewell documented as effective pollinators of global crops of economic importance. However, the contributions by pollinators other than bees have been little explored despite their potential to contribute to crop production and stability in the face of environmental change. Non-bee pollinators include flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, birds, and bats, among others. Here we focus on non-bee insects and synthesize 39 field studies from five continents that directly measured the crop pollination services provided by non-bees, honey bees, and other bees to compare the relative contributions of these taxa. Non-bees performed 25-50% of the total number of flower visits. Although non-bees were less effective pollinators than bees per flower visit, they made more visits; thus these two factors compensated for each other, resulting in pollination services rendered by non-bees that were similar to those provided by bees. In the subset of studies that measured fruit set, fruit set increased with non-bee insect visits independently of bee visitation rates, indicating that non-bee insects provide a unique benefit that is not provided by bees. We also show that non-bee insects are not as reliant as bees on the presence of remnant natural or seminatural habitat in the surrounding landscape. These results strongly suggest that non-bee insect pollinators play a significant role in global crop production and respond differently than bees to landscape structure, probably making their crop pollination services more robust to changes in land use. Non-bee insects provide a valuable service and provide potential insurance against bee population declines.Peer Reviewe

Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination

Wild and managed bees are well documented as effective pollinators of global crops of economic importance. However, the contributions by pollinators other than bees have been little explored despite their potential to contribute to crop production and stability in the face of environmental change. Non-bee pollinators include flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants, birds, and bats, among others. Here we focus on non-bee insects and synthesize 39 field studies from five continents that directly measured the crop pollination services provided by non-bees, honey bees, and other bees to compare the relative contributions of these taxa. Non-bees performed 25–50% of the total number of flower visits. Although non-bees were less effective pollinators than bees per flower visit, they made more visits; thus these two factors compensated for each other, resulting in pollination services rendered by non-bees that were similar to those provided by bees. In the subset of studies that measured fruit set, fruit set increased with non-bee insect visits independently of bee visitation rates, indicating that non-bee insects provide a unique benefit that is not provided by bees. We also show that non-bee insects are not as reliant as bees on the presence of remnant natural or seminatural habitat in the surrounding landscape. These results strongly suggest that non-bee insect pollinators play a significant role in global crop production and respond differently than bees to landscape structure, probably making their crop pollination services more robust to changes in land use. Non-bee insects provide a valuable service and provide potential insurance against bee population declines

Le glyphosate dans le réseau DEPHY FERME : état des lieux des usages, des freins et des alternatives

Depuis l’annonce par le gouvernement français de la mise en place d’un plan d’actions visant à mettre fin à l’utilisation du glyphosate d’ici 3 ans, plusieurs études ont permis de documenter les usages, les impasses et les alternatives existantes à l’emploi de cette substance active par les agriculteurs français, dont celle conduite par l’INRA à l’automne 2017 intitulée « Usages etalternatives au glyphosate dans l’agriculture française ».Ce document propose d’apporter une contribution complémentaire,spécifique au réseau DEPHY, à partir d’une analyse des pratiques et des systèmes mis en œuvre par les agriculteurs et agricultrices du réseau ayant réussi à supprimer ou à réduire significativement l’usage du glyphosate.Outre une analyse fine des usages du glyphosate dans les fermes DEPHY pourles filières grandes cultures – polyculture élevage, viticulture et arboriculture, ce document fait la part belle aux témoignages des agriculteurs du réseau qui testent sur leur exploitation des pratiques alternatives au glyphosate. Il donne également la parole aux expérimentateurs et aux Ingénieurs Réseau qui les accompagnent au quotidien dans leur projet de réduction d’usage desproduits phytosanitaires.Comme nous l’enseigne cette brochure, si les solutions techniques existent,celles-ci sont multiples et nécessitent la plupart du temps de repenser lessystèmes en profondeur. Autant de ressources et d’expertises proposées ici,qui donnent des pistes pour réfléchir une sortie du glyphosate mais plusgénéralement pour faire évoluer les systèmes agricoles vers des pratiques moins dépendantes aux pesticides.Je vous invite donc à parcourir ces pages, à les décortiquer et à prendre le temps de découvrir ce que les agriculteurs et les agricultrices du réseau DEPHY ont à nous apprendre sur les alternatives au glyphosate et sur les systèmes de culture économes en pesticides