Agrovisión – magazine of agricultural innovation by Excellent Nutrients
Introduction: why functional biodiversity matters in the field
Pollinators quietly sustain a large part of global agricultural production. However, their role often goes unnoticed compared to other more visible aspects of crop management.
Functional biodiversity groups together all organisms that provide a direct ecological service to the farming system. It includes everything from bees to natural pest predators and soil decomposers.
At Agrovisión, magazine of agricultural innovation by Excellent Nutrients, we examine the role of pollinators and other natural allies in agricultural productivity. We review how to design operations that favor their presence.
This article connects directly with plant nutrition, since a well nourished crop also is more attractive to beneficial fauna that visits it. This relationship is central to understanding the farming system as an integrated whole.
We will cover everything from the basic biology of pollinators to the practical design of green infrastructure on the farm. Each section provides information applicable from the next growing season.
We also include the most common mistakes that reduce functional biodiversity without the farmer even noticing. Knowing them in advance avoids losing a free and valuable ally.
Finally, this approach does not replace other agronomic practices, but complements them naturally. A system with good functional biodiversity remains more stable in the face of any kind of setback.
Many of the examples we will see are applicable without needing to redesign the entire operation at once. Small changes in specific areas already generate measurable benefits within a few seasons.
Beyond the ecological argument, there is an economic one too. Fewer inputs spent chasing problems that a healthy ecosystem would have handled on its own translates directly into lower costs over time.
What pollinators are and why they cannot be replaced
Pollinators include bees, bumblebees, butterflies, some beetles and certain species of flies and wasps. However, bees remain the most studied and widely recognized group by the general public.
Approximately seventy five percent of the world’s food crops depend to some degree on animal pollination. Their decline represents a direct risk to global food security.
Cross pollination improves fruit set as well as the final size and quality of the fruit obtained. This improvement can be measured in fruit trees, horticultural crops and many certified seed crops.
The diversity of pollinator species is as important as their total abundance in the system. A system with several species present withstands climate or health related fluctuations better.
Wild pollinators tend to be more efficient than managed honeybees in certain specific crops. Favoring native local species also adds considerable value to the system.
Each pollinator species has slightly different activity schedules and floral preferences. This natural complementarity explains why species diversity improves overall pollination efficiency. Different visitors can contribute at different moments, making the overall service less dependent on the activity of a single group throughout the flowering period.
Current threats to pollinators in agricultural areas
The indiscriminate use of broad spectrum insecticides represents one of the main causes of pollinator decline. However, management alternatives exist that drastically reduce this impact.
The loss of natural habitat around farming operations limits the shelter and food sources available. This landscape fragmentation worsens the problem even in areas without intensive use of pesticides.
Extensive monocultures without staggered flowering generate long periods without available floral resources. Pollinators must travel long distances or simply disappear from the area.
Climate change alters flowering cycles and can create mismatches with the biological cycles of pollinators. This temporal decoupling represents an additional threat that is difficult to manage in the short term.
Diseases and parasites affecting managed bees, such as varroa, also indirectly affect the general health of the pollinator system. Bee health forms part of the same underlying problem as habitat conservation, and both issues should be addressed jointly by the sector.
Designing green infrastructure to favor biodiversity
Living hedges and perimeter flower strips provide shelter, food and habitat continuity throughout the year. Their implementation can be one of the most profitable investments in functional biodiversity.
Selecting species with staggered flowering guarantees available floral resources during most of the season. This careful planning maximizes the benefit of any strip or hedge installed. The choice of plants should therefore be considered as a sequence of flowering periods, rather than as a collection selected only for its appearance at one particular moment.
Leaving small areas of bare soil or spontaneous vegetation favors the nesting of solitary bees. Not all of the operation’s surface needs to be fully cultivated or covered.
Installing insect hotels at strategic points complements the natural supply of available shelter. This simple, inexpensive measure delivers visible results within a few seasons.
Maintaining vegetation corridors connecting different areas of the operation facilitates the safe movement of beneficial fauna. This connectivity is especially valuable on large scale operations.
Phytosanitary management compatible with pollinators
Applying phytosanitary treatments outside the peak activity hours of pollinators significantly reduces their direct exposure. Scheduling applications early in the morning or at dusk is a useful precaution.
Prioritizing selective products over broad spectrum insecticides protects beneficial organisms. This careful selection forms an integral part of any integrated management strategy.
Avoiding application during the crop’s active flowering drastically reduces the risk of direct exposure. Adjusting the phytosanitary calendar according to crop phenology is essential.
Informing nearby beekeepers before any relevant treatment also protects managed hives in the area. This simple communication notably improves relations between agriculture and professional beekeeping.
Checking each phytosanitary product’s label regarding its specific bee toxicity should be a mandatory step before any application. This information is usually available and is rarely consulted with the necessary detail. Application timing should always be considered alongside the instructions on the label, including any restrictions concerning flowering crops and the protection of bees.
Plant nutrition and floral attractiveness for pollinators
A well nourished plant produces flowers with a greater quantity and quality of available nectar and pollen. Balanced nutrition directly influences how attractive the crop is to pollinating insects.
Boron, in particular, actively participates in floral formation processes and in the viability of the pollen produced. Its deficiency can reduce both the quantity and the quality of the flowers produced.
Excess nitrogen can favor vegetative growth at the expense of flowering. Balancing the nutritional ratio during critical phases improves both yield and floral attractiveness.
Some specific biostimulants improve pollen viability and floral longevity under stress conditions. This advantage is especially valuable in crops with narrow or demanding pollination windows.
Calcium also contributes to floral tissue firmness and tolerance to adverse conditions. A complete program must consider this phase with the same attention as the rest of the cycle.
Advanced plant nutrition programs oriented towards flowering
At Excellent Nutrients we develop advanced plant nutrition strategies that also consider floral quality as part of the desired agronomic outcome. Each program adapts to the specific flowering needs of the crop.
These programs combine macronutrients, micronutrients and biostimulants in proportions that favor abundant, high quality flowering. They consider the pollination calendar specific to each cultivated species.
Well calibrated nutrition during the flowering phase improves both fruit set and attractiveness to pollinators. This strategy simultaneously benefits yield and the system’s functional biodiversity.
Unbalanced nutrition during this phase can compromise both fruit set and the relationship with pollinating insects. Fine tuning doses is especially important during active flowering.
Reviewing the crop’s nutritional status right before the start of flowering allows any detected imbalance to be corrected in time. This adjustment window is usually shorter than many farmers assume. Planning ahead makes it easier to coordinate nutritional corrections with the expected flowering period, rather than responding only when visible symptoms or disappointing fruit set draw attention to a problem.
Practical cases by crop type
In stone and pome fruit trees, dependence on animal pollination is practically total for obtaining a commercial harvest. However, many operations still depend exclusively on rented hives without their own green infrastructure.
In greenhouse horticultural crops, the use of managed bumblebees requires careful phytosanitary management. Any treatment must be carefully evaluated before introducing hives into the facility.
In extensive crops such as sunflower, the presence of wild pollinators measurably improves yield beyond the exclusive use of managed bees. This crop is particularly sensitive to the availability of nearby habitat.
Each crop type requires a functional biodiversity strategy adapted to its specific pollination needs. There is no single formula applicable to every production system.
In almond orchards, cross pollination between compatible varieties is essential for obtaining acceptable commercial fruit set. The varietal design of the plantation must be planned considering this factor from the very start.
Common mistakes when managing functional biodiversity
Many farmers install hedges or flower strips without planning their staggered flowering throughout the year. However, this lack of planning considerably reduces the real benefit obtained.
Applying pesticides without considering the schedule or the crop’s phenology cancels out much of the effort put into green infrastructure. Both strategies must always be coordinated together.
Underestimating the time needed for functional biodiversity to become established creates unrealistic expectations. Establishment takes patience, since results usually consolidate from the second or third season onward.
Ignoring communication with beekeepers and neighboring operations can create avoidable conflicts due to cross phytosanitary exposure. Such coordination deserves the same attention as any other technical aspect of integrated management.
Many of these mistakes share a common origin, a lack of prior planning before investing time and resources. This initial reflection usually saves more time than it consumes. A clear plan links the purpose of each measure with the place where it will be used and the management needed to maintain it over time.
Measuring results simply, by counting pollinator visits to flowers for a few minutes a day, provides useful data without costly equipment. This accessible practice allows the progress of the chosen approach to be evaluated. Using a consistent observation period and recording the same areas helps make those notes more useful when comparing the changes seen across the growing season.
Conclusion: towards agriculture that works with nature
Functional biodiversity is not an aesthetic luxury, but a production tool with a measurable return. However, its implementation requires planning and a medium term vision.
Farmers who deliberately integrate pollinators and beneficial wildlife obtain more stable and resilient systems. Investing in green infrastructure is a strategic decision, not just an environmental one.
Advanced nutrition acts as a natural bridge between agronomic performance and the crop’s attractiveness to beneficial fauna. This integrated vision will continue to shape agriculture in the coming decades. It brings the condition of the crop and the organisms around it into the same management discussion, helping farmers consider how individual decisions interact across the whole holding.
Every hedge planted, every treatment rescheduled and every flower strip installed adds up to a more robust farming system against future setbacks. This sum of small decisions ends up making a notable difference over the long term.
There is no need to transform the entire operation at once to start seeing results. A first hedge, a first flower strip or a simple adjustment to application timing already represent a real step in the right direction.
Many of these changes are compatible with European grant lines oriented towards agricultural biodiversity and environmentally favorable practices. It is worth checking which calls could cofinance part of this initial investment.
Ultimately, working with nature instead of against it is not just a matter of principle. It is, increasingly, a solid production strategy backed by concrete, measurable agronomic results in the field.
From Agrovisión, magazine of agricultural innovation by Excellent Nutrients, we will continue exploring how technology, science and innovation are redefining the future of modern agriculture.