Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco
The importance of flower visitors for ecosystem resilience and crop production underscores the need to address the current decline of flower visitors worldwide. Farming Alternative Pollinators (FAP), economic and ecological benefits of fields hosting various marketable habitat enhancement plants, de...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Frontiers
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174477 |
| _version_ | 1855514641652776960 |
|---|---|
| author | Bencharki, Youssef Michez, Denis Smaili, Moulay Chrif Ihsane, Oumayma Aw-Hassan, Aden A. Ssymank, Axel Rasmont, Pierre Christmann, Stefanie |
| author_browse | Aw-Hassan, Aden A. Bencharki, Youssef Christmann, Stefanie Ihsane, Oumayma Michez, Denis Rasmont, Pierre Smaili, Moulay Chrif Ssymank, Axel |
| author_facet | Bencharki, Youssef Michez, Denis Smaili, Moulay Chrif Ihsane, Oumayma Aw-Hassan, Aden A. Ssymank, Axel Rasmont, Pierre Christmann, Stefanie |
| author_sort | Bencharki, Youssef |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The importance of flower visitors for ecosystem resilience and crop production underscores the need to address the current decline of flower visitors worldwide. Farming Alternative Pollinators (FAP), economic and ecological benefits of fields hosting various marketable habitat enhancement plants, developed for flower visitors protection in low- and middle-income countries, showed multiple benefits for farmers of pollinator-dependent crops, but potential benefits of FAP for production of pollinator-independent crops have not yet been assessed. Therefore, we conducted in 2021 FAP trials with wheat (Triticum aestivum) as the main crop in two regions of Morocco where cereals are mainly grown in monocultures in field sizes ranging from 2 to 5 ha. We tested the effects of fields adding marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP; coriander and canola) versus control fields on pests, natural enemies, flower visitors, and net income. We found significantly lower abundance and diversity of pests in wheat fields using MHEP, but no effect on natural enemy presence or net income. The strips of MHEP attracted a high number of flower visitors in both regions (Settat and Sidi Slimane), they supported flower visitor communities by providing plant resources and alternative habitat in monocultural landscapes extremely degraded for flower visitors. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace174477 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Frontiers |
| publisherStr | Frontiers |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1744772026-01-14T02:01:05Z Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco Bencharki, Youssef Michez, Denis Smaili, Moulay Chrif Ihsane, Oumayma Aw-Hassan, Aden A. Ssymank, Axel Rasmont, Pierre Christmann, Stefanie crop production pest control coriandrum sativum marketable habitat enhancement plants flower visitors conservation biocontrol The importance of flower visitors for ecosystem resilience and crop production underscores the need to address the current decline of flower visitors worldwide. Farming Alternative Pollinators (FAP), economic and ecological benefits of fields hosting various marketable habitat enhancement plants, developed for flower visitors protection in low- and middle-income countries, showed multiple benefits for farmers of pollinator-dependent crops, but potential benefits of FAP for production of pollinator-independent crops have not yet been assessed. Therefore, we conducted in 2021 FAP trials with wheat (Triticum aestivum) as the main crop in two regions of Morocco where cereals are mainly grown in monocultures in field sizes ranging from 2 to 5 ha. We tested the effects of fields adding marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP; coriander and canola) versus control fields on pests, natural enemies, flower visitors, and net income. We found significantly lower abundance and diversity of pests in wheat fields using MHEP, but no effect on natural enemy presence or net income. The strips of MHEP attracted a high number of flower visitors in both regions (Settat and Sidi Slimane), they supported flower visitor communities by providing plant resources and alternative habitat in monocultural landscapes extremely degraded for flower visitors. 2025-05-08T17:21:29Z 2025-05-08T17:21:29Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174477 en Open Access application/pdf Frontiers Youssef Bencharki, Denis Michez, Moulay Chrif Smaili, Oumayma Ihsane, Aden A. Aw-Hassan, Axel Ssymank, Pierre Rasmont, Stefanie Christmann. (13/3/2025). Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ) fields? a case study in Morocco. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 13. |
| spellingShingle | crop production pest control coriandrum sativum marketable habitat enhancement plants flower visitors conservation biocontrol Bencharki, Youssef Michez, Denis Smaili, Moulay Chrif Ihsane, Oumayma Aw-Hassan, Aden A. Ssymank, Axel Rasmont, Pierre Christmann, Stefanie Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title | Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title_full | Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title_fullStr | Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title_short | Beyond biodiversity: does “Farming with Alternative Pollinators” also boost farmers’ income in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields? a case study in Morocco |
| title_sort | beyond biodiversity does farming with alternative pollinators also boost farmers income in wheat triticum aestivum l fields a case study in morocco |
| topic | crop production pest control coriandrum sativum marketable habitat enhancement plants flower visitors conservation biocontrol |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174477 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bencharkiyoussef beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT michezdenis beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT smailimoulaychrif beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT ihsaneoumayma beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT awhassanadena beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT ssymankaxel beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT rasmontpierre beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco AT christmannstefanie beyondbiodiversitydoesfarmingwithalternativepollinatorsalsoboostfarmersincomeinwheattriticumaestivumlfieldsacasestudyinmorocco |