Sown Wildflower Strips and Hedgerows – Good for Pest Control, Pollination and Yields?
Sown wildflower strips improve pest control, and diverse, perennial strips also improve pollination services. Hedgerows in Switzerland yielded good results, while internationally effects were inconsistent. The effects on yield were variable.
Agriculture faces many challenges. In order to be sustainable, it must produce as efficiently as possible and, at the same time, preserve the natural resources and allow farmers to make a reasonable income. One of the many challenges is to use tailored flowering elements on the farm, which promote ecosystem services (pollination, pest control, etc.) in order to enable high-quality agricultural production and preserve biodiversity. The platform "Flowering Habitats" by Agroscope, FiBL, HAFL and SBV aims to help overcome this challenge.
