Why Controlled Pollination?
In the right conditions, pollination occurs naturally. When blossoms are fertile, bees must be present and active, and the pollinators also in bloom. Temperatures should be within optimal ranges. With vulnerable bee populations and weather variability, naturally occurring pollination is not always a given.
With controlled pollination . . .
- Growers control timing of the application of cross compatible pollen and do not depend on the unpredictability of nature.
- Trees needing cross pollination can be pollinated even if their pollinating neighbors aren’t in bloom.
- Pollen can be applied efficiently through a variety of methods.
- Bees can apply the selected pollen via bee hive inserts that force the bees to crawl through the pollen before exiting the hive.
- Pollen can be blown on from the ground with one of our application units or from the air via plane or helicopter.
- Growers with smaller orchards may choose to manually apply pollen to individual trees.