List of Events

The Integrated Crop Pollination Project received funding from 2012-2017 from the USDA-NIFA SCRI Program. The project funding has ended, but the online presence of this project will continue via this website, the Project ICP Facebook page, and the Project ICP Youtube channel.

 

PAST EVENTS

March 28, 2017, WEBINAR: how to manage solitary orchard bees for crop pollination

Theresa Pitts-Singer (USDA-ARS, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. With the uncertainty of healthy honey bee hive availability and the high cost of hive rentals for crop pollination, an alternative or complementary bee, the blue orchard bee, is becoming more available and manageable for fruit and nut tree pollination.  This presentation will describe the life cycle of this North American solitary, cavity-nesting bee, and how it can be deployed for providing pollination services while also maintaining or increasing a managed pollinator population.

March 21 2017, WEBINAR: ensuring pumpkin pollination

Shelby Fleischer (Pennsylvania State University, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. Pumpkin is entirely dependent on insects for pollination.  We first review the flower structure and the pollen and nectar rewards pumpkins offers to achieve pollination, and what that means for fruit set.  We overview the range of bee species that interact with these flowers in commercial settings, and then focus on the three dominant species for providing pollination: bumble bees, squash bees, and honey bees.  We review their biology and ecology, and detail visitation rates and population levels observed in commercial settings.  We discuss how management – rotation, tillage, IPM practices,  floral provisioning with perennial meadows or cover crops, rental of managed honey and bumble bees, and irrigation – at the farm and landscape scale can help conserve both wild and managed bees that provide the ecosystem service of pollination to pumpkins.

FEBRUARY 28, 2017, WEBINAR: on-farm pollinator habitat benefits for watermelon

Neal Williams (University of California, Davis, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. This webinar will provide an overview of strategies to promote pollinators within annual rotational croplands in California. The focus will be on recent advances to establish native wildflower plantings and how these can positively contribute to promoting bees and crop pollination. Although examples will primarily be for watermelon many aspects are likely to apply to row crops more generally. The webinar will include a discussion of pollination benefits and also consider potential benefits and risks associated with pest management.

February 14, 2017, WEBINAR: Pollinating apples and cherries east of the rockies

Julianna Wilson (MSU, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. . Apples and cherries would not be possible without the contribution of bees. This talk will review what it takes to achieve adequate pollination of apples and cherries in Eastern North America, the roles of managed and wild pollinators in these production systems, and practical guidelines for supporting pollinators in orchards. Results from recent studies in Michigan and Pennsylvania orchards will be used to illustrate these concepts.

JANUARY 31, 2017, WEBINAR: Pollinating highbush blueberries: bees bring bigger berries

Rufus Isaacs (MSU, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. Pollination is an important aspect of highbush blueberry production, and is essential for high yields. This talk will review how blueberries are pollinated by bees, how some cultivars are more sensitive than others to pollination by bees, and how different types of bees can be used for pollination of this crop. Results from four regions of North America will be contrasted showing the relative roles of honey bees, wild bees, and alternative managed pollinators.

January 24, 2017, Webinar: Ensuring almond pollination

Theresa Pitts-Singer (USDA-ARS, Project ICP) will present a webinar as part of the ICP webinar series. To produce almonds, flowers must receive pollen from a tree of a different almond variety.  This accomplished with bee pollination.  For commercial practices, honey bees are rented to provide this service to >800,000 almond acres that bloom for only a few weeks early each spring in California.  Another bee, the blue orchard bee, is also being developed as an almond pollinator.  This presentation will portray the grand scope of California almond production, some of the management inputs, the pollination strategies, and some of the challenges faced by the industry.

DECEMBER 9-10, 2016, HOOD RIVER, OREGON, 2016 ORCHARD BEE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING AND POLLINATOR EXPO

The Orchard Bee Association is hosting the 2016 International Orchard Bee Association Annual Meeting and Pollinator Expo in Hood River, Oregon, on December 9-10, 2016. Presentation topics will include creating native bee habitat, tips and techniques using blue orchard bees as commercial pollinators, and local and national bee research. For more information, visit the Orchard Bee Association website or register directly here.

NOVEMBER 28, 2016, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN, A POLLINATION FORUM

On Monday, November 28, Michigan State University will host A Pollination Forum, an evening outreach event to present the latest information on issues facing bees and the solutions being developed to support crop pollination. The event will run from 6-8pm at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. The keynote speaker, Dr. Marla Spivak, will present on “The Glorious Pollinator Revolution.” Dr. Spivak is an internationally-renowned bee researcher, a MacArthur Fellow, and the Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. Immediately following Dr. Spivak’s talk, a series of lightning-fast presentations by four crop pollination experts from across the United States will highlight the latest research from Project ICP. This will be followed by a reception with cash bar and free hors d’oeuvres that will provide a chance to meet the speakers and to read poster displays reporting on current research on bees and pollination by students and postdoctoral researchers from MSU and other universities. This is a free event but registration is mandatory as there is limited space available. Please register by November 23rd here. For additional information or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please contact Katie Steinman at icpbees@msu.edu.

July 17, 2016, State college, Pennsylvania, POLLINATOR CONSERVATION SHORT COURSE

This full day workshop will focus on concepts around protecting and enhancing populations of pollinators, especially bees, in agricultural landscapes. The course will provide an overview of bee natural history, integrated crop pollination, and identify practices such as protecting and creating habitat, modified horticultural practices, and advice on how to manage pests while protecting pollinators. In addition to receiving the latest cutting edge scientific findings from Penn State University scientists, course participants will conduct a field tour of the Penn State Arboretum pollinator plantings to practice identifying bees and their habitat. Taking place during the 2016 International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy.

july 12, 2016, pullman, MI, Field day: Planting wildflowers to support pollinators in michigan blueberries

This evening workshop will cover the state of the 2016 Michigan blueberry season, major pollinators of Michigan blueberries, bee ecology and resource needs, how to successfully establish wildflower habitat for pollinators, cost-share options for pollinator habitat, and minimizing pesticide risk to pollinators. The event will be held from 6pm-8:30pm at a wildflower planting south of Pullman, MI, managed by True Blue Farms. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Emily May at emily.may@xerces.org.

JUne 19, 2016, east lansing, MI, BEE PALOOZA

Meet members of the Michigan Project ICP at the 5th Annual Bee Palooza! A this fun, family event you’ll learn about bees and other pollinators, crop pollination, and the best pollinator plants.

june 16, 2016, bloomsburg, PA, Field day: Pollination and cover cropping in pa pumpkins

Join us for a half-day workshop from 9am-12pm about PA pumpkin pollinators and how to support them through cover cropping and integrated pest and pollinator management. Topics include the major pollinators of PA pumpkins; an overview of cover cropping in pumpkins, cover cropping for pollinators, equipment for no-till cover cropping, and cost-share options for pollinator habitat; and pest and disease management for pumpkins. This workshop will be held at the McDowell field operated by Brian Campbell Farms outside of Bloomsburg, PA. There is no fee to attend this field day; however, pre-registration is requested here. For more information, contact Emily May at emily.may@xerces.org.

may 26, 2016, Hawthorne, FL, field day: planting wildflowers to support pollinators in florida blueberries

This evening workshop, held from 6pm-8pm at Island Grove Ag Products south of Hawthorne, FL, will cover the major pollinators of Florida blueberries, bee ecology and resource needs, how to successfully establish wildflower habitat for pollinators, managing commercial bumble bees for crop pollination, and minimizing pesticide risk to pollinators. This event is free and open to the public. Please pre-register here. For more information, contact Emily May at emily.may@xerces.org.

May 20, 2016, Biglerville, PA, Workshop/Field Day: Pollinator Conservation and Crop Pollination in Tree Fruit

Join Emily May, Pollinator Conservation Specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and Dr. Dave Biddinger, Tree Fruit Research Entomologist at Penn State University, for a half-day workshop from 9am-12pm on integrated crop pollination for Pennsylvania tree fruit. Topics will include an overview of the major pollinators of PA tree fruit; how to minimize pesticide risk to pollinators; how to establish wildflower habitat in an orchard setting to support pollinators; and cost-share options for pollinator habitat. This workshop is hosted by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and will be held at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, PA. There is a fee to attend and pre-registration is required at this link. For more information, contact Aaron De Long at aaron@pasafarming.org or Emily May at emily.may@xerces.org.

April 18, 2016, Burlington, VT: An Introduction to Our Native Bees: Status, Trends, and Implications for Crop Pollination

Join Emily May, Pollinator Conservation Specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and Dr. Insu Koh of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at University of Vermont, for a talk on the ecology of native pollinators and their importance for crop pollination, as well as an overview of estimated wild bee declines in US agricultural landscapes at this month’s meeting of the UVM Beekeeping Club in Jeffords Hall 112 at 7PM. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

March 17, 2016, Kent Co, Michigan, All about apple bloom: Pollination, Blossom Blight, and Pgrs Workshop

This workshop for apple growers, co-organized with Michigan State University, focused on bloom-time issues including pollination, blossom blight control, and timing of plant growth regulators. Speakers included Julianna Wilson (MSU), Jason Gibbs (MSU), and Emily May (Xerces Society).

MARCH 15, 2016, Yolo Co, CALIFORNIA, almond pollination and orchard pollinator plantings field day

This field day provided an overview of integrated crop pollination and on-farm wildflower plantings for almonds in the Sacramento Valley. Two growers shared their perspectives. CCA: 1.5 CEU

MARCH 10, 2016, Kern Co, CALIFORNIA, Almond field Day: Integrated crop pollination

This field day provided an overview of integrated crop pollination for almonds. The field day included a tour of an orchard integrating honey bees, blue orchard bees, and wildflower plantings. CCA CEU applied for.

March 4-5, 2016, florida, UF Bee College

The UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory hosted the ninth annual Bee College. The organizers had live honey bee colonies on site for open hive demonstrations and protective gear for all attendees.

FEBRUARY 3, 2016, CALIFORNIA, SEED PRODUCTION COURSE

Neal Williams (UC Davis), an ICP partner, presented an overview of integrating pollination strategies for seed production fields.

december 15, 2015, New HAmpshire, New england Vegetable and fruit conference

Emily May (Xerces Society), an ICP partner, presented strategies to maximize highbush blueberry pollination during the morning blueberry session.

december 8-10, 2015, California, almond conference

ICP research partner Neal Williams (UC Davis) presented at the annual Almond Conference organized by the Almond Board of California.

december 2, 2015, florida, blueberry pollination workshop

This workshop, co-organized with UF Extension, provided an overview of common FL blueberry pollinators and farm practices that support those pollinators. Presenters included ICP partners Cory Stanley-Stahr (UF), Mary Bammer (UF), and Emily May (Xerces Society).

november 4, 2015, michigan, Blueberry pollination Workshop

A number of ICP partners presented at two identical workshops, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Presenters included Rufus Isaacs (MSU), Jason Gibbs (MSU), Emily May (Xerces Society), and Katharina Ullmann (Xerces Society). This workshop, organized with MSU Extension, covered common blueberry pollinators and on farm practices that support crop pollinators.

October 22, 2015, California, Alfalfa IPM and Crop Pollination Workshop

This Alfalfa IPM and Crop Pollination Workshop was organized by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Presenters included ICP research partners Kimiora Ward (UC Davis) and Ola Lundin (UC Davis).

October 8, 2015, florida, florida blueberry growers association winter meeting

The Florida Blueberry Growers Association held their annual winter meeting and trade show. ICP research partner Cory Stanley-Stahr (University of Florida) gave a talk at the Fall Florida Blueberry Short Course.

October 7, 2015, Pennsylvania, Vegetable Grower Twilight

Northampton and Leigh County Penn State Extension held their Vegetable Grower Twilight. Project ICP researcher Shelby Fleischer (Penn State University) spoke about how to support pollinators on vegetable farms using annual flowering cover crop mixes that flower early and late in the season.

OCTOBER 3, 2015, OREGON, ORCHARD BEE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM AND EXPO

The Orchard Bee Association held their annual symposium and expo. ICP research partners Derek Artz and Cory Stanley-Stahr (University of Florida) presented talks related to their ICP research.

SEPTEMBER 25-26, 2015, FLORIDA,  FLORIDA WILDFLOWER SYMPOSIUM

The Florida Wildflower Foundation organized the Florida Wildflower Symposium: Pollinators Connecting the Dots. Project ICP research partner, Cory Stanley-Stahr (University of Florida), presented her work on wildflower plantings that support pollinators.

September 24-25, 2015, Florida,  THE LANDSCAPE SHOW

The Landscape Show was organized by the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association. This year, Project ICP research partner, Cory Stanley-Stahr (University of Florida), presented her work on wildflower plantings that support pollinators.

July 17, 2015, Indiana, Cardno’s nursery Open House

Attendees had the chance to explore the Nursery grounds and botanical gardens, and take part in multiple engaging workshops. Project ICP Coordinator, Rufus Isaacs gave a talk.

March 19, 2015, California, Managing small farms for native pollinators

This workshop covered evidence supporting the benefits of crop pollination from native bees, and participants learned to identify some of the key players contributing to on-farm pollination services.

January 27, 2015, Pennsylvania, Pollinators and Pollination

This series of five talks gave an overview of pollinator biology, pollination of blueberries, tree fruit, and cucurbits, and conservation programs to help sustain pollinator populations.

November 20, 2014, Virginia,  Pollinator Conservation Short Course

Provided guests with the latest science-based approaches to reversing the trend of pollinator declines, and equipped guests with the recipes necessary to protect and manage habitat for these vital insects.

November 11, 2014, South Carolina,  How Small Farms Can Support Pollinators

Discussion of how supporting pollinators and their habitat needs also sustains other agriculturally beneficial arthropods and diverse wildlife

October 28, 2014, Australia,  Australia Almond Conference

Information presented about ICP activities as they relate to almond context in the United States and Australia.

October 19-22, 2014, Washington D.C., USDA Forage Summit

Project Director, Rufus Isaacs and Co-Project Director, Neal Williams  presented in Washington D.C.

October 8, 2014, California, Hedgerow workshop

Benefits of Hedgerows described to pollinators.

September 27, 2014, Utah, Orchard Bee Association & ARS Pollinator Symposium & Expo

General Meeting and Symposium to discuss the improvement of traditional pollination efforts to increase food supply.

September 24, 2014, Chile, Guest Lecture Universidad metropolitana De Ciencias de la Educacion

Talk given about solitary bees as crop pollinators: pumpkin pollination by native and managed bees, and almond population by Osmia bees in California.

July 12, 2014, California, Breakfast Club-Honey Mead

Discussion of the importance of pollination and native pollinators in food production.

July 8-9, 2014, Pennsylvania, Pollinator Extension Inservice

Researchers and Extension Educators brought together to review and discuss current issues about pollinators and pollination, with an emphasis on mid-Atlantic cropping systems.

June 30, 2014, California, Nerd Nite

Discussion of the importance of pollinators and specifically where they nest in agricultural landscapes.

June 16, 2014, California, Hedgerow Workshop

Discussion of the benefits of hedgerows to pollinators.

May 9, 2014, California, Guest Lecture University of California, Santa Cruz

Discussion of the importance of pollination services to agriculture.

April 26, 2014, California, Gill Tract Labeling

Discussion on how to promote pollinators in backyard urban gardens.

January 24, 2014, California, EcoFarm

Discussion of best practices for promoting native bee pollinators on farms.