Bumblebees favour outdoor kiwi fruit
"When we moved from the use of traditional honeybees to bumblebees for pollination, we immediately noticed that they worked well in all weather conditions and that they worked harder, even in windy conditions. The resulting size of the fruit at the end of the cycle was much more homogenous and the inner radial arrangement more complete," said Giuseppe Schiavon, the owner of Azienda Agricola Schiavon.
Bumblebees remain under anti-hail netting
Giuseppe Schiavon started using Koppert bumblebees after he discovered that honeybees were not partial to kiwi fruit pollen. "The honeybees did not stay and work inside the fruit crop but sought other sources of pollen. The result was poor pollination and less fruit." The area is often exposed to hail in spring which coincides with the crucial phase in pollination. "The use of bumblebees has allowed us to keep the crop under anti-hail nets as they stay in the crop," Giuseppe Schiavon observes. "Honeybees don’t work in enclosed spaces and have high mortality rates because they are often trapped in the nets. This forced us to open the covers leaving the crops vulnerable to hail until the conclusion of pollination."
Good results
"We have been using Tripol for a number of years now and have had excellent results," says Giuseppe Schiavon. "Thanks to the high quality of Koppert bumblebees, we now have more certainty about the success of pollination, even in adverse weather conditions. We can also count on constant support and monitoring by Koppert technicians, together with whom we plan the strategic installation of the bumblebees." Giuseppe Schiavon says the introduction of Tripol hives has significantly lowered the hours of labour and reduced costs.
For more information:
Koppert Biological Systems
Email: [email protected]
www.koppert.com
