There is research going on regarding the economic contributions of
Native Pollinators, at least in Maine Lowbush Blueberries.
Look at: http://tinyurl.com/oeqvyex
I talked with Frank at some point in the recent past and I'm pretty sure
he said (I'm working from memory and I don't want to put words into his
mouth) that Natives could probably successfully pollinate the wild
blueberry crop in something like 1 out of every 6 or 7 years.
It comes down to economics. Understanding that farmers are not inclined
to gamble with their livelihood it sure seems like it is to the farmer's
benefit to change from a mindset of 100% honey bee pollination to a
mixture of Natives plus honey bees., especially if that could save them
money while maintaining yields.
My thought is that if farmers are to increase reliance on Natives for
pollination, there need to be changes to current management practices.
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