Steem-agro Contest| "Importance of Bees in Agriculture"

It's another beautiful Friday to make my entry into my blog. Welcome to the agro family, friends. Bees are one important insect that has added value to the sustenance of agriculture across the globe. Its role can not be overemphasized given the importance it has created.

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What are the functions and roles of bees in agriculture?

As I said above, bees play an important role in agriculture. This is why it is documented and discussed. Let's look at some of these roles below;

Pollination:

This is one vital role we have seen bees perform across the globe. An extinction of bees means a great blow to the survival of our crops. Our crops, vegetables, fruits, and seed production have been enhanced through the pollination activities of bees.

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Stability:

One may wonder how this is achieved. A wide range of plants and flowers are in the maintenance books of bees. So far, they maintain these species, and they continue to help stabilize the environment. Both in ways of preventing erosion and as well replenishing soil requirements.

Global Food Security:

When pollination and fertilization are adequately done, crop yields are generally improved. The activities of bees cut across into different crop species and if all these are adequately done, then we are sure of improved agricultural production.

Economic Benefits:

The activities of bees also have an economic background. Since they help us increase crop yields, this means that we should have more inflows from our activities. However, jobs are created as farmers now have channels of activities to get busy and earn.

Food Availability:

The continued presence of bees means more honey in the market and homes. The honey and beeswax the bees produce are vital products for both human and industrial consumption.

What crops are most likely to be "bee" dependent, and why?

Lost of Crops that are Bee Dependent

1. Sunflower
2. Apple
3. Almond
4. Blueberries
5. Strawberries
6. Tomatoes
   7 Cucumbers
7. Pumpkins, etc.

Why they are Bee Dependent

1. They have complex flowers that require the activities of bees to complete fertilization.
2. Some of these fruits, like apples, have self-incompatibility issues which require the activities of bee pollination.
3. Some of these crops both have low viability to pollination and rapid pollination, hence they require bee activities to complete this process.

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How do bees contribute to global food security?

This is a chain contributory framework for the entire system. Bees' ability to maintain a stable biodiversity phase helps in strengthening the entire system as plant species can now service and add to agricultural productivity through their uncaptured contributions/roles.

If Biodiversity isn't kept, and they are unable to wage wars against soil degradation, we may be faced with erosions that destroy our farmlands and other agricultural activities.

We also know that nutrient cycling is only possible if the required plants are well-pollinated and in existence. When they are all in our environment, they help stabilize, distribute, and fix nitrogen problems. This invariably means more yield for crops.

Due to the versatile and vital role of bees, there is a wide range of crops including our mostly consumed grains like rice, wheat, and corn, which are pollinated. A reasonable amount of global food is pollinated. This means bees play an important role in food security.

We do not need to undermine or allow their extinction in any way. We all know the importance of their byproducts. Honey and beeswax are products that have largely helped humans in food classification and as well for industrialization.

Briefly discuss the economic value of bees' contribution to agriculture.

• Effective and adequate pollination has improved the yields of crops, which translates into more agricultural activities.
• We have the bee activities contributing to the global economic indices in hundreds of billions of dollars. This shows impact.
• Adds to the classes of food we have and provides that nutritional balance required.
• A source of job creation. Many now find the bee farm as a lucrative one. The honey from the bees is an important product for humans, just the wax from them to the industries.

This is my take and genuine entry on the topic.on Bees. I will be inviting @eveetim, @chant, and @rezaul-420.