also responsible for nearly a third of the world’s strawberry production. In 2012,
canola crop in the United States was valued at US$644.8 million, while strawberry
production was valued at over $2 billion [38–40].
In a 2014 report, both rapeseed and strawberry crop yields increased about 20%
while field bean increased by 40% and buckwheat by 71%, thanks to pollinators.
Despite these average numbers illustrating significant impact by pollinating insects,
region and variety can change a crop’s animal-pollination dependency, where
differences can vary up to 30% in rapeseed varieties [34].
For rapeseed, strawberry, field bean, and buckwheat crops, an increase in wild
insect visitation was shown to improve fruit and seed set (formation) by twice as
much as an equivalent increase in managed honey bee visitation. However, more
research needs to be done to tease apart the differences in wild bee and honey bee
effectiveness [41].
The nutritional value of plants directly affects human health. The animalpollinated plants above that are responsible for providing oils for our use are also
primary sources of fat-soluble vitamins. Ninety-eight percent of vitamin C, a watersoluble vitamin, is provided by animal-pollinated citrus and other fruits and vegetables. Over 50% of available folate, a B vitamin, is found in crop plants including
beans and green leafy vegetables, where animal pollination is responsible for over
7% direct yield increase. Of the plants that supply more than 70% of available
vitamin A and nearly all of our carotenoids, pollinators are credited for at least 40%
direct crop yield increase.
Besides vitamins, actively pollinated plants also contribute significant minerals to
the human diet. For example, about 60% of both calcium and fluoride come from
different crops that include heavily pollinator-dependent plants, such as fruits and
nuts. We derive an estimated 29% of iron from crops that see a 6% increase in yield
due to animal pollination [42].
Quality is represented as cosmetically marketable product as well as nutritional
value. For buckwheat, strawberry, and rapeseed crops, insect pollination has been
shown to be directly responsible for overall fruit and seed quality.
Rapeseed plants produced more oil in their seeds when properly pollinated, which
is critical considering the vast economic value and uses in animal feed, humanconsumed vegetable oil, and biofuel. In strawberries, the size of a strawberry’s red,
edible portion (receptacle) was found to be directly related to the number of
pollination-fertilized achenes, which are the seed-like formations on the
receptacle [34].
Bee-pollinated strawberries were found to be heavier, physically superior with
fewer malformations, and were categorized in higher commercial grades than fruits
fertilized by wind- or self-pollination. The bee-pollinated strawberries also had
improved shelf life with reduced sugar-acid ratios and increased firmness, where
the longer shelf life translated to reduced fruit loss by over 11%. This longer shelf
life and market value has a direct effect on trade revenue, representing reduced
waste [43].
16
C. Li
canola crop in the United States was valued at US$644.8 million, while strawberry
production was valued at over $2 billion [38–40].
In a 2014 report, both rapeseed and strawberry crop yields increased about 20%
while field bean increased by 40% and buckwheat by 71%, thanks to pollinators.
Despite these average numbers illustrating significant impact by pollinating insects,
region and variety can change a crop’s animal-pollination dependency, where
differences can vary up to 30% in rapeseed varieties [34].
For rapeseed, strawberry, field bean, and buckwheat crops, an increase in wild
insect visitation was shown to improve fruit and seed set (formation) by twice as
much as an equivalent increase in managed honey bee visitation. However, more
research needs to be done to tease apart the differences in wild bee and honey bee
effectiveness [41].
The nutritional value of plants directly affects human health. The animalpollinated plants above that are responsible for providing oils for our use are also
primary sources of fat-soluble vitamins. Ninety-eight percent of vitamin C, a watersoluble vitamin, is provided by animal-pollinated citrus and other fruits and vegetables. Over 50% of available folate, a B vitamin, is found in crop plants including
beans and green leafy vegetables, where animal pollination is responsible for over
7% direct yield increase. Of the plants that supply more than 70% of available
vitamin A and nearly all of our carotenoids, pollinators are credited for at least 40%
direct crop yield increase.
Besides vitamins, actively pollinated plants also contribute significant minerals to
the human diet. For example, about 60% of both calcium and fluoride come from
different crops that include heavily pollinator-dependent plants, such as fruits and
nuts. We derive an estimated 29% of iron from crops that see a 6% increase in yield
due to animal pollination [42].
Quality is represented as cosmetically marketable product as well as nutritional
value. For buckwheat, strawberry, and rapeseed crops, insect pollination has been
shown to be directly responsible for overall fruit and seed quality.
Rapeseed plants produced more oil in their seeds when properly pollinated, which
is critical considering the vast economic value and uses in animal feed, humanconsumed vegetable oil, and biofuel. In strawberries, the size of a strawberry’s red,
edible portion (receptacle) was found to be directly related to the number of
pollination-fertilized achenes, which are the seed-like formations on the
receptacle [34].
Bee-pollinated strawberries were found to be heavier, physically superior with
fewer malformations, and were categorized in higher commercial grades than fruits
fertilized by wind- or self-pollination. The bee-pollinated strawberries also had
improved shelf life with reduced sugar-acid ratios and increased firmness, where
the longer shelf life translated to reduced fruit loss by over 11%. This longer shelf
life and market value has a direct effect on trade revenue, representing reduced
waste [43].
16
C. Li