Pollinators
Pollinators are extremely important to growing your flowers and gardens!
Nashville, Ark. – If you have a vegetable garden at home or flower beds around your house, pollinators are essential to your production. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, wasps and even flies. Of these, bees perform a majority of the pollination.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same plant or another plant of the same species. This process results in fertilization and reproduction of the plant to produce seeds. Many important crops are pollinated by honeybees including many of the fruits and vegetables we eat as well as a number of important crops such as nuts, herbs, spices, oilseed crops, forage for dairy and beef cattle, as well as medicinal and numerous ornamental plants. Honeybees add an estimated $15 billion to the U.S. economy annually in increased crop yields.
Pollinators have evolved with native plants which are best adapted to the local growing season, climate and soils. Some plants that we consider weeds such as goldenrod, milkweed, thistle and black-eyed Susan are actually good plants for pollinators. If you are planning on planting a flower garden, try to plant native or well adapted flowers. Phlox, asters, begonia, lantana, marigolds, bee balm and salvia are some options.
Biologists fear that several butterfly and bee populations have disappeared. Habitat loss and pesticide poisoning appear to account for much of the population declines. It is important to remember why to support pollinators. An abundant and healthy population of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases, and wildlife food sources increase. Remember that pesticides are toxic to pollinators. Use extreme caution if you choose to use any pesticide. Strategically apply pesticides only for problematic target species.
For more information on pollinators, you can contact the Howard County Extension office at 870-845-7517, email me at dbailey@uada.edu or find helpful fact sheets on our website at www.uada.edu. In the search box be sure and search for pollinators.
By Dawson Bailey
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Dawson Bailey
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
dbailey@uada.edu
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