Abundance and diversity of bees visiting flowering pennycress, a new oilseed crop in the midwestern USA

Oilseed pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a new, autumn-sown, “cash cover crop” for the Midwestern USA and elsewhere. Anthesis occurs in early spring when few other plants bloom, and its flowers attract early-emerging bees. However, the taxonomic composition of these bees was unknown. Consequently, we systematically captured and identified the genera and species of bees visiting pennycress flowers throughout anthesis at five site-years: two in Illinois and three in Minnesota. A cumulative total of 28 bee species were found across site-years. The most common genera were Andrena (10 species), Lasioglossum (12 species), and Halictus (2 species). Rarer genera were Apis, Ceratina, Hylaeus, and Nomada. Bee abundance and diversity were related closely and in a negative exponential manner with percent land area devoted to annual cropping. The inclusion of new early flowering crops, such as pennycress, may enhance bee abundance and diversity, especially if even small areas of uncropped land are nearby

Weather and landscape influences on pollinator visitation of flowering winter oilseeds (field pennycress and winter camelina)

Flowers of field pennycress (Thlaspi arvsense L.) and winter camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz.) produce abundant pollen and nectar in early spring and thereby may be valuable for pollinators. Insects observed in field plots of these flowers were classified into seven easily identifiable groups (bumblebee, honeybee, solitary bee, butterfly/moth, beetle, fly and other) and monitored for 2 years at three sites in the Upper Midwest region of the USA. Average seasonal observations across years and sites varied from 1.6 to 5.3 total insects/min for field pennycress and 1.4 to 4.5 insects/min for winter camelina. Lowest visitation rates occurred in central Iowa and highest rates in south‐eastern Minnesota for both crops. Multiple regressions showed that visitation rates for specific insect groups were correlated poorly but significantly (p \u3c .10) with select variables. For example, in field pennycress, visitation by combined bumblebees and honeybees (Apidae) increased with greater air temperature at sampling time and annual site precipitation, whereas fly (Diptera) visitation was related to sampling date and flower cover. Similarly, in winter camelina, solitary bees were linked to increasing air temperature at sampling time and annual site precipitation, whereas flies were correlated with wind speed and flower cover at sampling. Field pennycress and winter camelina are reliably attractive to beneficial pollinating insects across a wide geographic region, but visitation rates and proportional representation of various insect groups depended on a range of site and weather characteristics

Analysis Of Crop-Competition, Weeds, And Heterodera Glycines In Winter Annual Oilseed Rotation

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. February 2019. Major: Applied Plant Sciences. Advisor: Donald Wyse. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 55 pages.Midwest crop production is dominated by two summer annual crops grown in rotation, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The rotation leaves a productivity gap during the spring and autumn. Winter oilseed crops, such as pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.), and winter camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz], can fill this gap and provide ecosystem and economic benefits. The objectives of this study were to: i) examine the tradeoffs between soybean and winter oilseed yields in the relay-cropping system, ii) determine legacy impacts on corn one year after oilseed-soybean relay-cropping, iii) evaluate the weed suppression abilities of the winter oilseeds. iv) evaluate the host susceptibility of the winter oilseeds to SCN in the greenhouse, and v) evaluate pennycress germplasm collection for major resistance genes to SCN. Three sites were used across Minnesota to evaluate winter oilseeds and commodity crop yields in a relay-cropping production system. Total seed production of the system (winter oilseed crop + soybean) was increased by 20% at one site, while at the other two sites, there was no significant difference in total yield when compared to mono-cropped soybean. Soybean yield was reduced at two-of-three sites by the inclusion of winter oilseeds by 20% and 47%. Soybean yield was unaffected by inclusion of winter oilseeds at the third site. Corn yield, in the subsequent year, was unaffected by the winter oilseed treatments. Weeds were suppressed by the winter oilseeds crops. The pennycress treatment reduced weed biomass by 97% to 100%. Likewise, the camelina treatment reduced weed biomass by 85% to 87%. The inclusion of winter oilseeds in the corn-soybean cropping system can increase overall seed production and suppress early-season weeds. Through greenhouse evaluation it was determined that pennycress is an alternate host for soybean cyst nematode; while camelina is a poor or non-host. Including pennycress as a winter annual cover crop in rotations with soybean has the potential to increase SCN pest pressure. Genetic screens for SCN resistance found variation in the population. Lines tested ranged in Female Index values from 27-143. Indicating diversity in the germplasm that may be able to be exploited for resistance development. The inclusion of winter oilseeds in the corn-soybean cropping system can increase productivity and decrease weed populations, but also may increase pest pressure of SCN in the cropping system

Weather and landscape influences on pollinator visitation of flowering winter oilseeds (field pennycress and winter camelina)

Flowers of field pennycress (Thlaspi arvsense L.) and winter camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz.) produce abundant pollen and nectar in early spring and thereby may be valuable for pollinators. Insects observed in field plots of these flowers were classified into seven easily identifiable groups (bumblebee, honeybee, solitary bee, butterfly/moth, beetle, fly and other) and monitored for 2 years at three sites in the Upper Midwest region of the USA. Average seasonal observations across years and sites varied from 1.6 to 5.3 total insects/min for field pennycress and 1.4 to 4.5 insects/min for winter camelina. Lowest visitation rates occurred in central Iowa and highest rates in south‐eastern Minnesota for both crops. Multiple regressions showed that visitation rates for specific insect groups were correlated poorly but significantly (p This article is published as Forcella, Frank, Swetabh Patel, Andrew W. Lenssen, Cody Hoerning, M. Scott Wells, Russ W. Gesch, and Marisol T. Berti. "Weather and landscape influences on pollinator visitation of flowering winter oilseeds (field pennycress and winter camelina)." Journal of Applied Entomology (2020). doi: 10.1111/jen.12854.</p

Winter oilseed pollinators in IA and MN in 2017 and 2018

Data include observations of insect pollinators visiting flowers of two winter oilseed crops (field pennycress and winter camelina) at three sites during the flowering seasons of 2017 and 2018. Two sites were in Minnesota and one site in Iowa each year.Data include observations of insect pollinators visiting flowers of two winter oilseed crops (field pennycress and winter camelina) at three sites during the flowering seasons of 2017 and 2018. Two sites were in Minnesota and one site in Iowa each year. The value of these data are that they document an important agroecosystem service provided by the two novel winter oilseed crops. The purpose of saving the data files in the Digital Conservancy is to abide by new journal requirements that call for universal access to data used in professional qualifications.USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-Coordinated Agricultural Progra