Biobest has released results from recent trials examining the use of bumblebees to improve pollination in avocado orchards. Following over three decades of work in fruit and vegetable production, the company explored whether bumblebees could address challenges related to avocado pollination.
Avocado trees require insect pollination for effective fruit set. Each flower opens twice—first to expose the female parts and then again to release pollen. While honey bees and wasps are common pollinators in orchards, they tend to prefer other flowering plants nearby, reducing their effectiveness in avocado groves.
Field trials conducted in Spain and Turkey, in collaboration with academic institutions, showed that the introduction of bumblebee hives improved yield by 30–50% without reducing the average fruit size. In some cases, trees located close to hives produced more than twice as much fruit as those farther away. The results suggest that increased pollinator activity in orchards can enhance fruit set, potentially due to increased competition among pollinators.
Researchers recommend placing 8 to 12 bumblebee hives per hectare, evenly spaced to ensure effective coverage. The trials also indicate that bumblebees perform well under challenging weather conditions and that their presence in the orchard may contribute to increased pollination, even if their activity is not always easily observed.
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