Dr. Gordon Frankie at UC Berkeley is teaming with me in Ventura County to jointly work on a pollination study for avocados. Dr. Frankie is studying how to increase native bee pollinators in avocado orchards. To do this, we plan on surveying the native bees that are in the area, identify the plants that they are foraging on and then plant those species in orchards to lure indigenous bees + pollinators in to the orchards. These plants will also be monitored for their attractiveness to beneficial insects which could control avocado thrips, persea mite along with other pests. We have applied for UC grants and will apply to CA Avocado Commission and CDFA Specialty Crops for money. We plan on planting the natives before the winter rains, if they ever come.
For a review of the native pollinators, check out the UC publication: How to attract and maintain pollinators in your garden. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8498.pdf
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