The arboriculturists of the French Apple and Pear Association (ANPP) as well as the French Peaches and Apricots Association, all certified as eco-responsible orchards, have made a commitment to pollinators by financing nearly 90 ha of melliferous vegetation, via the Coup d’Pousse platform created by the Biodiversity Network for Bees (RBA).
This way, the apple and pear producers who had already installed 40ha of flower strips in 2019 with the Coup d’Pousse action, were now able to register on the platform in 2021 in order to benefit from more than 58 ha of melliferous fallow lands. These seeds were planted near their orchards in all the production basins: Limousin, Tarn et Garonne, Loire Valley, Provence, Alpes, Picardie, Languedoc, Vendée. For the first time, the producers of Peaches and Apricots of France were also able to plant more than 27 ha of flowered strips thanks to Coup d’Pousse in 8 departments, from the Rhône to Corsica.
Nutritious and quality mix for pollinators
Two different mixes developed by RBA were proposed to the producers:
– a melliferous mix for calcareous soils containing sainfoin, sweet clover, buckwheat, red clover, Persian clover and phacelia
– a more diversified mix containing over 20 species including marigold, borage, centaury, sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil…
Selected for their nutritious qualities for pollinators, these plants will bring some resource of quality and in quantity to these insects when the orchards are not (or no longer) in bloom, while being complementary with the available wild flora. This strong commitment on the part of the arboriculturists is a response to the significance of domestic and wild pollinators as well as auxiliaries, essential to the production of nice quality fruit.
Eco-responsible orchards in favor of biodiversity
Eco-responsible Orchards is committed to protecting the natural biodiversity of the land thanks to this action, as well as by monitoring the presence and diversity of wild pollinators, worms and butterflies. Pollination is essential for the formation of fruit but biodiversity in general strengthens the natural resistance of the orchards against pests and diseases. Eco-responsible Orchards supports producers in creating refuges for these insects, by installing hotels and planting hedges around the orchards, as well as flower strips.
Eco-responsible Orchards is an eco-responsible approach to production of the Apple and Pear National Association, extended to the Peaches and Apricots of France Association, which aims to produce healthy and tasty quality fruit using production methods that respect the environment and biodiversity of the orchards, while ensuring the economic balance of the farms. This approach is based on the principles of integrated fruit production, which give priority to orchard observation, biological control methods and state-of-the-art techniques in order to guarantee a production of quality for all consumers.
The Biodiversity Network for Bees is a general interest association committed to the protection of pollinators and their ecosystems. It promotes the importance of food resources for these auxiliaries and strives to improve the flower offer in France. With more than 10 years of expertise in melliferous vegetation, the Network created the Coup d’Pousse platform in 2018 (http://www.coupdpousse.fr/), inviting farmers to register in order to benefit from free seeds (fallow or intercropping) favorable for pollinators. The beekeepers who wish to make their hives benefit from this planted resource can also register to be connected with a farm in their area. A win-win situation for two sectors! In order to finance these actions, companies and individuals can make donations, tax-free and subject to compensation, on the platform.
For more information:
Eco-responsible Orchards
http://lapomme.org/vergers-ecoresponsables
Biodiversity Network for Bees
https://www.reseau-biodiversite-abeilles.fr/