A flowering strip adjacent to a field in an on-farm experiment near Treherne, Manitoba. Photo: Farnaz Kordbacheh
Better Farming Prairies: Flowering habitat strips
An article by Jason Gibbs, Yvonne Lawley, Michael Killewald, Farnaz Kordbacheh, Alejandro Costamagna and Rob Gulden in the October 2021 issue (page 46) of the magazine Better Farming Prairies featured research at the University of Manitoba into planting flowering strips to create habitats for beneficial insects. It reads:
Insects are the most diverse organisms on the planet and they provide a multitude of important ecological functions including pollination, nutrient recycling, and pest control. Encouraging these beneficial insects in agriculture has the potential to improve yields while also benefitting the broader ecosystem.
Entomologists and plant scientists at the University of Manitoba (UM) have teamed with producers to investigate how flowering habitat strips can be incorporated into farms to help beneficial insects.
Read the full story here.