Despite recent concerns about bees being harmed by neonicotinoid seed treatments, bees and canola can get along, says a Canola Council of Canada agronomist.
Canola growers can adopt certain practices to ensure the health of honeybees, Greg Sekulic told the Alberta Beekeepers Commission annual general meeting.
“By and large, the industries get along together quite well,” he said. “Bees can do great stuff for us in terms of yield and in terms of increasing our flowering window.”
Sekulic said honeybees are beneficial to canola, especially hybrid varieties which are 95 per cent reliant on pollination. In turn, about 70 to 85 per cent of the honey produced in Canada uses canola as a feedstock.
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“Bees do well in canola. The crop has a nutritious pollen and large amounts of nectar,” Sekulic said.
However, he said growers need to keep in mind that anything they do in the field could have an effect on bees, good or bad. Growers need to know where hives are, and inform neighbouring beekeepers of any pesticide spraying. In some cases, beekeepers may need to cover or move their hives during spraying.
Sekulic said data on acute kills reported by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) says that acute bee losses due to insecticide are low. Most are avoidable, and seem to occur when older chemicals are used.
However, actual losses are estimated to be about three to four times higher, because beekeepers don’t report their kills to the PMRA. Sekulic said that beekeepers should report their losses in order to get a better idea of actual damage.
Recommended practices
There are several practices that can be adopted to minimize damage on bees and other beneficial insects. Sekulic recommends growers refrain from blanket herbicide applications, and prophylactic (preventive) treatments. Flowering canola should never be sprayed unless it is completely necessary. Growers should use economic thresholds to ensure that they are only spraying when it makes economic sense.
“We have a good understanding of the ecology of the bulk of our pests and the threshold data is good, so stick to those numbers,” he said. “Bear in mind that the thresholds just cover the cost of application. It’s not a money-making endeavour.”
Growers should also use the least-toxic insecticides, keeping in mind that many of the bee-friendly products may be a little more expensive. They should also rotate their insecticides. Drift-control nozzles are recommended, and growers should leave a wide buffer zone of about 50 metres away from the hives. The best time to apply insecticide is after 8 p.m. or before 9 a.m., when bees are not actively foraging.
