Horticulture And Pollinator Groups Come Together For Research

During the week of October 20, AmericanHort participated in the USDA Honeybee Forage Summit and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), both held in the Washington, D.C. area.

Many stakeholders were present, including representatives from federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, beekeepers and other agricultural interests.

Advertisement

AmericanHort took advantage of the opportunity of having a diverse group of interests in the same room, and coordinated a research project proposal that brings together AmericanHort, American Beekeeper Federation, American Honey Producers Association, American Seed Trade Association and Pollinator Partnership. The proposal was submitted on the final day of the NAPPC meeting to the USDA for potential funding under the Farm Bill Section 10007, which is administered by USDA-APHIS.

If funded, the project will identify which plants already available in the trade are the most valuable forage sources for bees at different times of the year. The results will help identify plants for which growers might decide to be especially cautious with systemic and long-residual insecticides, and help inform the public about which landscape plants they can purchase from their local garden centers for helping pollinators in their area.

The project brings these organizations together for the first time to tackle their shared concerns and move forward in a collaborative fashion.

Top Articles
Two Horticulture Podcasts You’ll Want to Check Out

0