Saturation pollination

rdf:langString Saturation pollination

rdf:langString Saturation pollination is a pollination technique for agricultural crops in areas dominated by non-crop plant species that are preferred by pollinators. The technique involves keeping a larger number of bee colonies than normally maintained for honey production so as to exhaust the preferred plants and ensure visitation of the crop plants by the bees. The technique is applied in areas that are normally avoided by beekeepers because of poor honey yields. Saturation pollination is especially important for those with special pollination problems, such as crops with flowers that are unattractive to Western honey bees (kiwifruit, for example), that have nectar that is low in sugars, or crops that have been moved from their native areas without the corresponding movement of their normal pollinators. The keel of alfalfa flowers knock young honey bees on the head when they attempt to take the nectar and the bees soon learn to come in from the side to avoid getting hit with the keel's pollen bearing structure while still getting the nectar. Thus only young, inexperienced bees are doused with pollen and able to pollinate alfalfa. Saturation pollination is becoming increasingly required for many crops due to decline of wild pollinators and monocultured crops.