Crops Worldwide Are Insufficiently Pollinated: Rutgers Study

A team of scientists led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick has recently found that global production of important, nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes is limited by a significant lack of pollinators.

Pollinators contribute to the reproduction of 88% of flowering plants and 76% of global food crops, with bees being the most effective pollinators because they visit more flowers and carry more pollen than other insects.

This conclusion comes from an analysis of crop yields from over 1,500 fields on six continents, Chrissy Sexton reported for Earth.com.

The experts found that 33.3% to 66.6% of farms have fields that are not producing at optimal levels due to a lack of pollinators, also known as “pollinator limitation.” These findings are particularly concerning given the recent global declines in insect populations.

“Our findings are a cause for concern and optimism,” said Katie Turo, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

The findings do not apply to major food crops like rice and wheat, which do not require pollinators for reproduction.

Blueberry, coffee, and apple crops were the most impacted by pollinator limitation, while yield deficits were found for 25 crops in 85% of the countries evaluated.

“We detected widespread yield deficits.

However, we also estimate that through continued investment in pollinator management and research, we can likely improve the efficiency of our existing crop fields to meet the nutritional needs of our global population.”

The researchers analyzed more than 200,000 bee visitations to crop flowers using the world’s most comprehensive databases.

Senior author Rachael Winfree, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, collaborated with colleagues from South America and Europe to compile the database of crop pollination studies spanning three decades.

Pollinators contribute to the reproduction of 88% of flowering plants and 76% of global food crops, with bees being the most effective pollinators because they visit more flowers and carry more pollen than other insects.