Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
July 10, 2012
In the U.S. alone, more than $15 billion of crops are annually pollinated by bees. To help protect the health of the bees, Bayer CropScience is expanding its educational Bayer Bee Care program highlighting the importance of honey bees as pollinators. The new stewardship materials are available to producers, educators and others through Bayer CropScience sales representatives or online:
“The great value of bees as pollinators has been known for many years, but unfortunately, this knowledge is not widely appreciated and understood―and therefore bee populations are not being protected,” says Dick Rogers, apiologist and manager of the Bayer Bee Care Center. “As we face the challenge to produce more food, fuel and fiber for a growing world population, bees play a vital role in helping farmers establish a healthy harvest, which is of great importance within our global communities.”
The Bayer Bee Care education program includes a honey bee stewardship video, grower seed treatment guidelines and dealer and distributor application guidelines. Honey bee scientists at the Bayer Bee Care Center collaborated with farmers and industry partners to develop the bee health stewardship materials. The educational tools will help producers select the appropriate seed products and ensure they are used in the most efficient and responsible manner.
Industry partner Charlie O’ Brian, agriculture sector vice president for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, discusses the potential impact of the ag sector working together to sustain bee health. “We take educating and working with producers on how to best use technology very seriously,” he says. “Ultimately we are very interested in the stewardship of the land and we want to make sure that it’s well taken care of – not only today but for generations in the future.”
“We’re making great progress understanding the complex nature of pollinator health and the elements that may affect it,” continues Rogers. “This is vital as we continue to rely on the strong connection between the honey bee and our food supply.”
Working side-by-side with dealers, distributors, growers, industry partners and stakeholders, Bayer CropScience is committed to sustaining the future of agriculture. Producers can find more information about Bayer’s Bee Health education program at www.bayercropscience.us or contact your local Bayer CropScience dealers.
Bayer CropScience is a company committed to bringing new technology to the forefront of crop production. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, growers should visit their retailer, contact a local Bayer CropScience representative or visit Bayer CropScience online at www.bayercropscience.us.
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