Blueberry

Bumblebee pollination… added value for the global blueberry crop

Bumblebee pollination of blueberries

Blueberries self-fertilize, but that does not mean that bumblebees cannot add value. Without the intervention of bumblebees, the berries are smaller, take longer to ripen and tend to fall off the bushes. This amounts to kilos of lost fruit, since these berries cannot be sold.

Cross-pollination can therefore have many benefits. Pollen is exchanged between the different varieties of the same species by honeybees and bumblebees that fly from plant to plant. Why are bumblebees the best choice? In comparison to honeybees, bumblebees start to work at lower temperatures. What’s more, they pollinate quicker and bring larger quantities of pollen to the blossoms. The result? Larger fruits which ripen at the same time, which means you can achieve higher yields. Biobest would be happy to help you achieve this result with its wide range of bumblebee hives.

Did you know that...

… blueberries are extremely popular due to their health properties? As a result, they are widely exported throughout the entire year to meet growing consumer demand. The effect of that? Strict quality requirements that you, as a grower, must adhere to.