IN YOUR ORCHARD
Best Return On Investment for Rented Hives Of course, as the name suggests, all Seeds for Bees mixes are designed with pollinator and hive health in mind! Seeds for Bees encourages the use of cover crops to increase the density, diversity and duration of bee forage in California working lands while also improving soil health and crop production. Adding a cover crop provides a diverse food source for bees, keeping them in your orchard and boosting hive productivity, which can help maximize your return on investment for your hive rentals. Some beekeepers will even reduce rental fees for growers that provide blooming cover crops. 5 There are many options and considerations to selecting the cover crop that’s right for you. Having a basic understanding of a mix’s components and essential functions can guide you toward making a more informed decision. Strategically selecting a cover crop mix can be used to stack multiple functions, manage multiple goals at once and maximize the return on your investment. For a full list of Seeds for Bees’ cover crop mixes, and more information on water requirements and planting guides visit Seeds for Bees website at projectapism.org. The Seeds for Bee’s team at Project Apis m . provide free seeds and technical support to choose the cover crop that is right for your orchard. Apply today at projectapism.org/ seeds-for-bees. References: 1. California Farmer Implements Cover Cropping in Almond Orchard to Improve Soil Quality and Reduce Inputs — The Confluence — ANR Blogs (ucanr.edu). https://ucanr.edu/ blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm ? postnum=52223 2. B rassicacea-based management strategies as an alternative to combat nematode pests: A synopsis — ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/abs/pii/S0261219415301526 3. V egetable: Cover Crops, Brassicas | Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at UMass Amherst. https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/ cover-crops-brassicas#Pest%20Management
up to 100 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. Another option is the Annual Clover mix , a low growing and easy-to-manage groundcover that can fix up to 80 lbs. of nitrogen per acre in optimal growing conditions. Adding Soil Organic Matter to Your Soil The addition of any crop cover will introduce added sources of biomass into your soil. Planting cover crops and incorporating them into your soil increases soil organic matter (SOM). SOM allows your soil to hold more nutrients, increase water holding capacity and can improve soil structure and overall soil health. Most Seeds for Bees cover crops can contribute a significant amount of biomass, which can increase SOM. Most of their seed mixes contain some blend of different seed varieties, typically in the grain, legume or brassica category. Almost all Seeds for Bees mixes are a great option if you want to target your SOM, with the exception of the Annual Clover mix, which is designed to be less hardy than other mixes. The BioBuild3 mix is an abundant mix of two varieties of peas, four varieties of brassicas and triticale. Planted at a heavy seeding rate, BioBuild3 is designed to increase biomass, biological activity and biodiversity. While BioBuild3 is a great option for adding soil organic matter, it can require more management considerations. Cover crops on the right side of the road help reduce standing water and run-off by increasing infiltration into the soil. Photo credit: Project Apis m.
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ALMOND FACTS
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