Bumblebees benefit from faba bean cultivation

A bumble bee (Bombus hortorum) collects nectar from a faba bean flower. Photo: Nicole Beyer Research team led by the University of Göttingen investigates influence of -greening measures- on pollinators About one third of the payments received by farmers are linked to specific -greening measures- to promote biodiversity. The cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes is very popular. However, these measures have been criticized because the benefits for biodiversity are unclear. Now a team from the University of Göttingen, the Julius Kühn Institute and the Thuenen Institute in Braunschweig has investigated whether the cultivation of the faba bean ( Vicia faba - also known as the broad bean or fava bean) can support wild bees. It turns out that bumblebees benefit from the cultivation of faba beans, while all other wild bees depend on the presence of semi-natural habitats. The results of the study have been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.