Production Blog

Avoid Dust-Off to Protect Bees

Bees are especially active foragers in the spring when the queen is building back the brood. Farmers can help protect them with proper planting measures. (DTN photo by Pamela Smith)

DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- My bees were buzzing over Monday's spring warm up. I found a few eager scouts checking to see if the hummingbird feeders held an early treat. A group swarmed from the machine shed where they had discovered a still sticky brood box that was hastily stored last fall. They have plenty of sugar supplements to eat at the hive, but hey... it was a nice day to go out for a meal.

Bees get really busy in the spring building back the colony. The queen starts laying eggs, bee babies emerge and there are a lot of mouths to feed if all is well. The problem is, this also overlaps with the busy season for farmers. Therein lays my plea for bees.

By now most farmers know there's an issue with pollinators. Most have gotten the message they are involved in some way. However, I recently moderated a panel at Commodity Classic on this issue and it became clear that there's still a lot of confusion, finger pointing and denial when it comes to how and what to do about it.

Alan Madison, a corn and soybean farmer from Walnut, Ill., talked about his strategy for working with local beekeepers during the Commodity Classic panel discussion. Topping the list was getting to know local apiary owners and alerting them when he would be spraying or planting nearby. If necessary, beekeepers can take short-term measures to hold the bees in the hive. Madison also said he tries to spray or plant sensitive areas closest to bee yards early in the morning or later in the evening when bees are less likely to be foraging.

Growers might be surprised to learn how many bees (or other sensitive crops) surround them. DriftWatch (www.driftwatch.org) is a voluntary online specialty crop registry program that allows both farmers and applicators to identify, map and communicate where high-value pesticide-sensitive crops are being grown. Plug in your zip code and it's easy to see how many beekeepers have taken the time to register their hives and where they are located. Currently, DriftWatch has been adopted in 12 states and a Canadian province.

DUST-OFF DECISIONS

Neonicotinoid insecticides such as imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam that are widely used as seed treatments are currently in the regulatory crosshairs because of pollinator health issues.

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Problems have occurred when the dust from insecticide seed treatments combines with talc used as a planting lubricant. As contaminated dust exits the planter, it can deposit on flowering trees and plants. Foraging bees can take the contaminated pollen back to the hive. You can read more about the lubricant issue in the DTN story "The Trouble With Talc" here: http://goo.gl/…

Management tactics to limit contaminated lubricants from exiting the planter are now available. Bayer CropScience Fluency Agent is being used as an alternative to talc. Check with local retailers for availability and with your planter manufacturer and seed supplier. For example, Becks Seed Company took the step this season to include it with their seed.

New polymers that help insecticides stick to the seed better are also being developed.

For example, BASF has developed Flo Rite Plantability Polymer. In BASF research trials, Flo Rite seed coatings reduced dusting 89% compared to treated seeds that received no coating.

Seed companies are working on ways to condition seeds to help pesticides stick to them better. For example, DuPont Pioneer has developed specialized equipment involving air systems to remove dust and debris from the surface of seeds prior to treating them. The process ensures that products applied to the seed stay on the seed.

Growers can take some responsibility too. A few planters are already rolling in extreme southern regions, but for most there's still time for the following precautions:

-- Know your planter and don't use seed lubricants unless necessary.

-- Consider new lubricants that are less likely to dust off than talc. Check with planter manufacturers for recommendations.

-- Do not overuse talc or graphite. More is not necessarily better.

-- Do a thorough job of mixing talc in the hopper.

-- Don't blow out vacuum tubes at the end of the row.

-- Don't plant in excessively windy or dry conditions.

-- Be careful cleaning out planters, and don't do it near pollinating flowers. Leftover dust is highly toxic.

-- Mow excessively weedy/flowering field edges before planting.

Pamela Smith can be reached at Pamela.smith@dtn.com

(AG)

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