10: Breeding crops for bees and other insects - using sunflower as a model species

Monday, November 16, 2020

6:30 PM - 6:50 PM EST

Presenting Author(s)

JP

Jarrad R. Prasifka

USDA-ARS
Fargo, North Dakota

Co-Author(s)

Rachel E. Mallinger

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
BH

Brent Hulke

USDA-ARS
Fargo, North Dakota
Beth E. Ferguson

Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Contributions of bees to wild and cultivated plants are well-documented, as is the need to support pollinator populations and communities. Among many tactics, breeding crops to be more attractive or rewarding to pollinators should be a straightforward way to complement other conservation strategies. In some cases, either plant traits important to bees or plant genes governing key plant traits are already known, enabling a rational strategy to breed crops for bees. To illustrate some steps and progress in “breeding for bees,” sunflowers are a model crop. Recent and ongoing research is presented related to (i) measuring the benefits of bees to sunflower hybrids, (ii) understanding why bees prefer certain sunflower lines, and (iii) progress in using plant genetics to facilitate breeding sunflowers for bees. Possible costs and trade-offs of this approach are also discussed.