Which native bees show potential as commercial crop pollinators in Australia?

Australia accounts for just 5% of the world’s land area but 10% of the global diversity in bees with around 2,500 species.

They vary greatly in colour, size, sociality, habitat preferences, physical appearance and even behaviour. Only a few native bee species produce honey, but all perform essential pollination services in our natural environment to underpin biodiversity and ecosystem health. But to what degree can they be used as commercial crop pollinators?

Join us and discover some of Australia’s most intriguing native bees, which ones are currently being used to enhance commercial crop pollination outcomes and simple strategies for encouraging native bees to improve crop pollination efficiencies. Specific examples will showcase native bees being used or trialled for pollinating macadamias, berries, lucerne and glass house crops.

Presenters include:

Dr Tim Heard, an entomologist, stingless bee keeper and promoter of native bees for pollination, honey, education and conservation. He is an ex-CSIRO research scientist, secretary of the Australian Native Bee Association and organizer of the Australian Native Bee conference. Tim completed his university doctoral studies on using native bees for crop pollination and has since published 75 research papers and popular articles on bees and pollination. He regularly presents workshops and seminars, talks on radio and is the author of multi award winning and best-selling “The Australian Native Bee Book”.

Dr Julian Brown, a Research Fellow in Urban Ecology at the University of Melbourne. He is interested in plants, pollinators, and their interactions in urban, agricultural, and fire-prone landscapes.

Dr Katja Hogendoorn, a Research Fellow in behavioural ecology and evolution of native bees, in particular relating to mating, social and foraging behaviour with applied interests in enhancing the environment for crop pollinating bees, development of native bees as crop pollinators, the use of bees as vectors of biological control agents and the conservation of native bees.

Dr James Cook is Professor of Entomology at Western Sydney University. His team conducts research on insect pollinators and the services they provide to crops and wild plants, with a strong emphasis on the role of native bees and flies in protected cropping and orchards.

This webinar is supported by

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