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Continued from Page 44<br />
tails to prevent pesticide exposure or to receive compensation<br />
if it occurs. Table 2 (see page 47) shows<br />
the percentage of beekeepers whose agreements<br />
contained language about pesticide exposure by the<br />
specific feature. The most common detail included<br />
was that the grower would not apply pesticides when<br />
bees were active (33%). Eleven percent to 12% of<br />
beekeepers stated they had agreements in which they<br />
would be reimbursed if colonies had to be moved or<br />
were damaged due to pesticide applications.<br />
Advance Payment<br />
Beekeepers were asked if any of their growers/brokers<br />
pay some portion of the pollination fee before<br />
colonies are placed for almond bloom. Nearly half of<br />
respondents (44% of N=91) had at least one contract<br />
that pays part of the pollination fee in advance.<br />
Twenty-one percent of beekeepers received advanced<br />
payments of 30% or less of the total pollination<br />
fee. Nineteen percent of participants received over 40%<br />
of the total pollination fee in advance. Paying the beekeeper<br />
in advance can benefit both parties; it locks the beekeeper<br />
into a contract, reducing the grower’s risk that a beekeeper<br />
will default, and it provides the beekeeper with working<br />
capital to feed and prepare colonies before bloom.<br />
LEADING THE WAY IN NEW TECHNOLOGY<br />
PRESENTING THE MULTI-PURPOSE...<br />
FLORY ST14<br />
SHUTTLE TRUK<br />
- TRADITION - INTEGRITY - SERVICE - CRAFTSMANSHIP -<br />
Since 1936<br />
Flory Industries, Salida, CA 95368 USA 209-545-1167<br />
Beekeepers Preferred<br />
Cover Crop Mix<br />
Any of the following<br />
bee-friendly cover crops are<br />
welcome<br />
Brassica mix<br />
(mustards, canola, etc.)<br />
Clover mix<br />
Soil builder mix<br />
(Combination brassicas,<br />
legumes and grains)<br />
Wild flowers (California<br />
poppy, black-eyed susan,<br />
etc.)<br />
I would prefer my grower<br />
not plant a bee-friendly<br />
cover crop<br />
Other<br />
Bloom timing<br />
January-March<br />
March-June<br />
January-May<br />
February-June<br />
Potential Benefits to<br />
Almond Orchard<br />
Increased soil organic<br />
matter, water infiltration<br />
Erosion control, nitrogen<br />
fixation<br />
Combination of Brassica<br />
and Clover mix benefits<br />
Aesthetically pleasing, not<br />
ideal for planting within<br />
orchards<br />
Percentage of<br />
Responses<br />
Note: Bloom timing and potential benefits taken from PAm Seeds for Bees site: https://www.projectapism.org/pam-seed-mixes.html<br />
and California Native Plant Society California Wildflowers guide https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wildflowers-peak-season-guide.pdf<br />
Exact bloom timing will depend<br />
on timeliness of planting and rain or irrigation.<br />
Table 3. Percentage of respondents by cover crop preference (N=78)<br />
33%<br />
Bee-Friendly Cover Crops<br />
Given the potential benefits cover crops can provide to<br />
almond orchards, we investigated beekeepers’ preferences<br />
and experiences with bee-friendly cover crops. All cover<br />
crop mixes that we inquired about are based on Project Apis<br />
m.’s Seeds for Bees cover crop mixes. Of the 89 beekeepers<br />
that responded, 21% said that they had at least one grower<br />
provide bee-friendly forage in or near the almond orchard<br />
they were pollinating. Most of those were from bee-friendly<br />
cover crops planted in the almond orchard, but others planted<br />
permanent or temporary pollinator habitat as well.<br />
We provided beekeepers with a list of bee-friendly cover<br />
crops and asked which cover crop mix they would prefer.<br />
Table 3 shows the results for each cover crop mix along with<br />
the timing of bloom and potential benefits for the almond<br />
orchard. The most popular response was the Brassica mix<br />
(37%), which consists of mustards and canola, followed<br />
closely by a third of beekeepers responding that any of the<br />
bee-friendly cover crops would be welcome. The Soil Builder<br />
mix, a combination of brassicas, clovers and grains, was<br />
the second most popular mix (13%). The Brassica and Soil<br />
Builder mixes are popular due to relatively early bloom<br />
timing compared to the other mixes. The Clover mix may<br />
not bloom until mid- to late March, at which point it may not<br />
be useful for bee colonies if bloom has ended and they have<br />
been moved on. This preference for earlier blooming mixes is<br />
supported by the responses of two beekeepers who selected<br />
“Other” as an option. They said, “Any that would bloom by<br />
February 1” and “Anything that would bloom in February to<br />
mid-March.”<br />
Beekeepers remain hesitant on cover crop benefits because<br />
of the uncertainty in the timing of bloom. Even within<br />
a cover crop mix, bloom timing can vary substantially due<br />
to the timeliness of planting, rain and/or irrigation. Figure<br />
4 (see page 47) displays the percentage of beekeepers that<br />
agreed with two statements about individual cover crop<br />
mixes. The first statement was, “The cover crop mix will<br />
bloom at the correct time to benefit my colonies.” Over 60%<br />
37%<br />
10%<br />
13%<br />
3%<br />
1%<br />
3%<br />
46 West Coast Nut <strong>Dec</strong>ember 2021
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