Crop fertilization affects pollination service provision – common bean as a case study
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2018-11
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The demand for insect-pollinated crops is increasing. Conventional agricultural intensification
heavily relies on increased input of fertilizers, which can have negative effects on local
biodiversity. Such effects may be particularly accentuated in biodiversity hotspots that are
naturally nutrient-poor. Ecological intensification of farming, i.e. practices that increase production
through the increase of ecosystem services, emerges as an alternative to conventional
intensification. For example, practices that boost abundance and diversity of crop
pollinators can lead to substantial increases in cropland productivity. However, little is
known about the synergisms and trade-offs between fertilizer input and such ecological
intensification practices. Here we investigate interactive effects between fertilization practices
and the provision of ecosystem services in a biodiversity hotspot where conventional
agriculture is rapidly expanding (Brazilian savannas). We focus on a highly nitrogendemanding
crop species that benefits from pollinators (the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris
L.), for which nitrogen input greatly varies in the study region. Our findings show that positive
effects of native pollinators on crop yield are most accentuated under low inputs of
nitrogen (e.g. equal to or below 72kg ha-1). This interactive effect could be due to changes
in flower visitor community composition or behaviour. Our study also suggests that landscape
management practices that minimize isolation from patches of natural vegetation and
maximize its cover nearby (within 500 meters) of production areas can increase pollinator
and biocontrol agent abundance and richness. Overall, these results suggest that ecological
intensification is a valuable alternative for common bean production in Brazil, and potentially
other regions of the world. Land productivity can be enhanced if an adequate balance of
chemical inputs and landscape management is achieved.
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RAMOS, Davi de L.; BUSTAMANTE, Mercedes M. C.; SILVA, Felipe D. da Silva e; CARVALHEIRO, Luísa G. Crop fertilization affects pollination service provision - common bean as a case study. PLoS One, San Francisco, v. 13, n. 11, e0204460, 2018. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204460. Disponível em: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30388124/. Acesso em: 13 jan. 2023.