Insufficient pollinator visitation often limits yield in crop systems worldwide

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Agricultural Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Declining pollinator populations pose a significant threat to global food security.
• Pollinator limitation, where crop yields are constrained by insufficient pollinator activity, is a growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the global prevalence of pollinator limitation across various crop systems.
• To identify risk factors, such as crop type and geography, associated with pollinator limitation.
• To quantify the potential yield improvements from increased pollinator visitation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 198,360 plant-pollinator interactions and 2,083 yield measurements.
• Inclusion of 32 crop species across 120 diverse study systems.
• Assessment of environmental factors like forest land cover in relation to pollinator limitation.

Main Results:

• 28-61% of global crop systems exhibit pollinator limitation, with blueberry, coffee, and apple crops being most affected.
• Forest land cover within 1 km showed a slight decrease in pollinator limitation probability in some cases.
• Increasing pollinator visitation to the 90th percentile levels could close 63% of yield gaps in limited systems.

Conclusions:

• Pollinator limitation varies significantly across different crop types and regions.
• Targeted increases in pollinator activity offer a viable strategy to enhance crop yields and mitigate food production risks.
• Conservation efforts focused on pollinators are crucial for sustainable agriculture and global food supply.