The Integrated Crop Pollination Project

Honeybees have been the first choice of growers across the United States to pollinate crops and improve the quality of their yields for nearly four centuries. Imported from Europe in the early years of North American colonization, honeybees became a…

In northern Michigan, spring still seems like a ways off, but the MSU Integrated Crop Pollination team is preparing for bloom in cherry. This season, we will be expanding our project to include using the alternative pollinator, Osmia cornifrons, horn-faced…

This new article in Scientific American’s special Food issue addresses how reviving native bee species could help support pollination of fruit, vegetable, and nut crops. The article features Project ICP team members Neal Williams, Claire Kremen, Julianna Tuell and Project…

Each year, billions of dollars of our nation’s agriculture sector are the direct result of the work done by bees. In Michigan, blueberry, apple and cherry growers – among others – count on them to pollinate their crops. Listen to…

A recent study by Michigan State University scientists showed that blueberry growers who plant wildflowers near their fields see an increase in their yields. Why? Because the wildflowers supply shelter and food to support bees and other insects that pitch…

Every spring in the United States, bees pollinate crops valued at about $14 billion. A Michigan State University professor and a team of scientists are using a five-year, $8.6 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to keep…