Farming with Alternative Pollinators approach increases pollinator abundance and diversity in faba bean fields

Pollinators are threatened worldwide and strategies and measures to support their conservation are proliferating. Among them, the approach Farming with Alternative Pollinators (FAP) aims to support pollinators by seeding strips of pollinator-attracting cultivated plants surrounding the crops, and simultaneously providing income to the farmer. In this study we assessed whether this approach supports pollinator diversity in agro-ecosystems and increases flower visitor diversity and abundance in faba bean fields in north-west Morocco. We tested the impact of FAP using a variety of marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP): flax, coriander, arugula, chia and canola. A total of 62 pollinator species were recorded, among which almost half of them are new records for the region. Most wild pollinators recorded in faba bean were digger bees (genus Anthophora) and long-horn bees (genus Eucera). MHEP shared diverse flower visitors with faba bean and hosted diverse pollinator groups that did not meet their food requirements from the main crop. The FAP approach highly increased flower visitor abundance and diversity in the whole FAP fields, however it did not generate significant pollinator spillover towards the main crop. Implications for insect conservation: our results show that the FAP approach is an effective approach to mitigate pollinator decline in agro-ecosystems.

Automated summary

The study demonstrated that the FAP approach can support pollinator diversity in agro-ecosystems and increase flower visitor diversity and abundance in faba bean fields. The use of a variety of marketable habitat enhancement plants can enhance flower visitor abundance and attract diverse pollinator groups, but it does not generate significant pollinator spillover towards the main crop.