Koppert’s Post

Artificial lighting in greenhouses has revolutionised crop cultivation, enabling year-round production. But what about our pollinators, the bumblebees? They require extra care when daylight is scarce. 🌼🐝 🌞 Bumblebees depend on daylight, and when it's lacking, growers need to intervene. Adapting pollination strategies to environmental conditions is essential for success. Subscribe to our newsletter, which will be sent out later today, to find out how best to apply your Bumbles for artificial pollination: https://lnkd.in/eShUxTPH You can also discover more about: - Hive placement tips for greenhouses with artificial lighting - Pollinating in snowy conditions ❄️ - The effects of energy screens and grow lights on pollination 💡 by following the link below: https://lnkd.in/e8kav7UY #PartnerswithNature #biologicalsolutions #cropprotection #pollination

The onion planting season is just around the corner are you ready? Here are some tips to help you maximize your yield and ensure a healthy harvest. #ItStartsWithTheRightSeed #seedcovegzim #onionseason

Perennial flower strips, pollinator strips, hedgerows, windbreaks, buffer strips . . . we'll go with a North American configuration - prairie strips - today, as that's where our feature content is from, for this week's post. The introduction of prairie strips can have multiple flow-on impacts in a cropping setting across biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and agricultural productivity: + A two- to three-fold increase in the density of bird species. + A three- to four-fold increase in pollinator abudance. + An overall increase in honey bee populations specificaly, with improved overwinter survival rates. + Up to a 96.8% reduction in sediment discharge and a 23% decrease in nitrate leaching. + Increased water infiltration (by up to 38%) with improved soil structure. + Native species with deep root systems support improved soil carbon sequestration. + Increased plant-available phosphorus and potassium. With a place-based community level plan, these prairie strips can be planned to provide extensive corridors for both wildlife and livestock. At the Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), work is ongoing together with the USDA on long-term agroecosystem research. This research includes long-range studies on prairie strips. The findings on establishing prairie strips so far? "The first year was weedy, but the second year showed definite signs of native plants. It wasn't until the third and fourth years that KBS researchers finally saw a strong establishment of natives with floral diversity." Interestingly these observations parallel much of what we see with graziers working towards more diverse multi-species plantings. Source links - see comments to articles by Mad Agriculture and Michigan State University. Image credit - Iowa State University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. #pollinators #biodiversity #soilhealth #ecosystemservices

Interesting reading especially the attached articles. When planning your project remember that isolated trials are helpful to understand what might be possible in your context but the success or failure of such trials needs to take the long view. As stated here researchers found it was not until year 3-4 that the system stabilised. One hypothesis could be the soil fertility or microbiology is so much different to what is required for native species that it requires time to reset or recover. Worth doing? Yes the benefits of what is termed prairie strips in this post are immense both biology and fauna are supported by such systems which when taken together allow you to tweak your system and reduce your inputs. Improving your bottom line. What’s not to like about that. It’s beautiful too. #natureknowsbest #readytoadapt #biodiversity #conservationag #regenfarming

The Corson Conservation District shared this awesome photo with us of a busy bumble bee pollinating brassica flowers in a cover crop mix! When designing a cover crop mix to attract beneficial pollinator insects, it’s important to consider how many different types of flowers the mix includes. A diverse range of flower types will support various pollinators with different needs and preferences. For example, bumblebees, with their relatively large body size and weight, are capable of opening certain flowers to access pollen and nectar. In contrast, native bees are much smaller and tend to favor different types of flowers than larger pollinators. Since native bees are the primary pollinators for most crops, ensuring a wide variety of flowering plants in your mix is crucial to support these essential insects. Visit our website greencover.com to explore our wide range of premade mixes designed for maximizing diversity and helping you meet your soil health goals! #covercrops #regenerativeagriculture #soilhealth

Bees and other pollinating insects are crucial to our food security 🐝 Did you know that in Europe, around four out of five wild-flower and crop species depend on pollinators? 🦋 And it used to be believed that mostly honeybees pollinate crops, but recent research has shown that other insects also play a vital role in crop pollination, such as: ▶ Hoverflies ▶ Butterflies ▶ Moths ▶ and some beetles Sadly, however, one in three pollinating species are disappearing in the EU! Discover how EU-funded research helps halt #pollinator decline 👇 europa.eu/!FNc7M4

Using artificial lighting in a greenhouse depends on several factors including the type of crops, the geographical location, and the amount of natural light available. In regions with limited sunlight or during winter months, artificial lighting can be beneficial or even necessary to ensure optimal plant growth and productivity. It helps extend daylight hours, improve photosynthesis, and support year-round cultivation. ☎️ 9691245609 📧 info@alexafarms.in #GreenhouseFarming #ArtificialLighting #SustainableAgriculture #YearRoundGrowing

Read about how to prepare to keep bees nourished and enhance almond pollination in Project Apis m.'s Cover Crop Considerations column in this issue of #pacificnutproducer sponsored by KAMPRATH SEED here: https://lnkd.in/gFkM_ddu

Terminator Agro Reports: There's some wild scenes coming out of WA this season with radish flowers carpeting the crops. A wet winter in the north has made paddocks too tricky to spray, despite aerial spraying doing its best. Yet, the flowers are hard to miss in those fields now. 🧪 Research shows that while radish seed can last up to 10 years, most of it is gone within 5. Still, farmers might notice a hefty radish crop next year… but the real storm hits in two years. When the pod breaks down, it’s germination central! Here’s a heads-up: Wild radish is a perfect candidate for harvest weed seed control (HWSC), and a mill like the Seed Terminator will crack those radish seeds, even with a bypass screen. It’s an easy win to tackle radish and stop next year’s blow-out from becoming an even bigger problem! The good news? The tourists will have a bit more to photograph, adding wild radish to their Patterson's Curse pics! 😅 #HarvestWeedSeedControl #WildRadish #WeedManagement #SeedTerminator #AgTech #FarmingInnovation https://buff.ly/3U30aIF

What can we learn from cover crops? There are many obvious benefits to planting a cover crop like reducing erosion, increasing soil organic matter or providing nutritious feed for grazing animals. Regardless of what your goal for your cover crop may be, you will have the benefit of observing how that cover crop grows. Just as weeds can be indicators, cover crop species are as well! Plants will express themselves differently depending upon soil conditions. Having species from many different plant families, growing together in the same soil, can give us a lot of insight into what’s going on below ground, especially as we observe the species that thrive and those that do not. For more information on plants as indicators of soil conditions, check out “When Weeds Talk” by Jay L. McCaman. #covercrops #soilhealth #regenerativeagriculture Green Cover