Claude Dufour
MSc student in Biology
Université Laval
Award-winning publication: The impact of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) pollination on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony health status
Published in: PLOS One
Abstract
The honeybee colonies that contribute to the commercial pollination of lowbush blueberry and cranberry likely have less access to floral diversity than those that produce honey in mixed agricultural environments. Claude Dufour’s findings reveal that the commercial pollination of lowbush blueberry brings about a decrease in brood development owing to the lack of protein in the pollen collected. In addition, the insufficient quantities of nectar available during the commercial pollination of cranberry lead to a significant decline in colony growth.