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Potential of bigleaf lupine for building and sustaining Osmia lignaria populations for pollination of apple

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2012

Cory S. Sheffield ,
Sue M. Westby ,
Robert F. Smith  and
Peter G. Kevan
Cory S. Sheffield*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 1J5
Sue M. Westby
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 1J5
Robert F. Smith
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4N 1J5
Peter G. Kevan
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
*
2Corresponding author (e-mail: corys@yorku.ca).
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Abstract

Bees of the genus Osmia Panzer (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) are among the contenders to replace honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Apidae), for pollinating tree-fruit crops. One species, Osmia lignaria Say, has shown great potential in western North America and was recently introduced into Nova Scotia for evaluation as a pollinator of apple, Malus Mill. (Rosaceae). A major component of that study was to develop management options for O. lignaria, including methods of sustaining nesting females following crop flowering to maximize population recovery for pollination in subsequent seasons. The objective of this study was to evaluate bigleaf lupine, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. (Fabaceae), as a secondary food plant for nesting female O. lignaria by investigating nesting activity, pollen-use patterns, and fecundity. During 2002–2003, female O. lignaria collected high proportions of apple pollen (>70%) during mid and late flowering; after then, most pollen (>90%) was collected from bigleaf lupine. The flowering period of lupine in Nova Scotia (late May to early July) slightly overlapped that of apple, so there was no scarcity of pollen resources during the life-span of O. lignaria. Most nests typically showed high levels (≤200%) of population growth, but recorded levels varied among nest types and locations. In 2004, nests closer to lupine plots exhibited significantly greater population recovery than nests located farther away (i.e., approximately 600 m). Bigleaf lupine is a suitable plant species for meeting the pollen requirements of nesting populations of O. lignaria following apple flowering, thus promoting the recovery of populations to meet apple pollination requirements in subsequent seasons.

Résumé

Les abeilles du genre Osmia Panzer (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) font partie des candidats pour remplacer les abeilles domestiques, Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) pour la pollinisation des cultures d’arbres fruitiers. Une espèce, Osmia lignaria Say, qui montre un potentiel intéressant dans l’ouest de l’Amérique du Nord, a été introduite récemment en Nouvelle-Écosse pour être évaluée comme pollinisateur du pommier, Malus pumila Mill. (Rosaceae). Une partie importante de l’étude consistait en la mise au point de méthodes de gestion d’O. lignaria, en particulier des méthodes pour le maintien des femelles nidificatrices après la floraison des pommiers afin de maximiser la récupération de la population en vue de la pollinisation durant les saisons suivantes. L’objectif de ce travail est d’évaluer le lupin polyphylle, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. (Fabaceae), comme plante alimentaire secondaire des femelles nidificatrices d’O. lignaria, par des études de l’activité de nidification, des patrons d’utilisation des pollens et de la fécondité. En 2002–2003, les femelles d’O. lignaria ont récolté de fortes proportions de pollen de pommier (>70 %) durant les périodes moyenne et tardive de la floraison; plus tard, la majorité du pollen récolté (>90 %) provenait du lupin polyphylle. La période de floraison du lupin en Nouvelle-Écosse (de la fin de mai au début de juillet) chevauche un peu celle du pommier et il n’y a pas de pénurie de ressources polliniques durant la durée de la vie d’O. lignaria. La plupart des nids affichent généralement des taux élevés (≤200 %) de croissance de population, mais les taux sont variables en fonction des types de nids et des sites. En 2004, les nids plus près des parcelles de lupins avait un taux de récupération significativement supérieur à celui des nids situés plus loin (c’est-à-dire environ 600 m). Le lupin polyphylle est donc une espèce de plante appropriée pour satisfaire les besoins en pollen des populations nidificatrices d’O. lignaria après la floraison du pommier; il favorise la récupération de la population pour assurer la pollinisation des pommiers durant les années suivantes.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 140 , Issue 5 , October 2008 , pp. 589 - 599
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2008

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