Cucurbit pollination: how to encourage pollinators

As part of our study, we surveyed courgette fields at three different sites to see whether the presence of wildflowers could attract more pollinators and increase courgette yields.

Pollinators rely on the nectar and pollen in flowers for food. In 2016, we surveyed courgette fields on different sites to see whether adding wildflowers attracts more pollinators.

We studied sites in Cambridgeshire (two fields), Worcestershire (two fields) and Cornwall (five fields) three times within a growing season. Our results showed that fields rich in wildflower species attracted more buff-tailed bumblebees.

Encouraging wildflower growth on field margins or patches where courgette growth has been lower could help to increase pollination. Areas of uncultivated land also provide important sites for nesting and hibernation.

Our study suggested that wildflowers do not draw bees away from pollinating the courgette flowers. Bees show a preference for visiting courgette flowers in the morning when they are open. When the courgette flowers close in the afternoon, bees tend to visit flowers on the field margin.

Average number of bees in the cropped area and margin of a courgette field over a day