Pollination is everything when trying to grow crops, and it is why tree nut growers are getting picky about the bees touching their crops.
They are using Blue Orchard Bees, which are like honeybees but do not use a queen or worker bees. Orchard farmers tend to prefer them because man-made nests can be placed throughout the rows.
One grower says that while they are beneficial, they are not for everyone.
“It takes the right grower. It takes, you know, a progressive grower. The challenge for the grower as we see it right now is that it’s hard for them to attribute the bump in yield to the bee, you know, if you’re talking about a 10% bump in yiled, what you have to do is either believe the research or you don’t, is really what it comes down to,” said Jim Watts.
New details on the massive wildfire threatening farms and ranches in the Southern Plains.
February 20, 2026 11:24 AM
·
Pre-filled Applications Available Online to Producers with a Login.gov Account
February 20, 2026 10:23 AM
·
Fertilizer still consumes an unusually large share of crop value.
February 20, 2026 09:00 AM
·
Pollination costs remain volatile, raising planning risk for specialty crop producers.
February 20, 2026 07:00 AM
·
Kerry Hartwig from Sukup Manufacturing previews the grain management solutions they plan to share with producers at the upcoming Commodity Classic in San Antonio.
February 19, 2026 02:36 PM
·
FBN co-founder Charles Baron previews the upcoming Farmer2Farmer event and how technology and AI are shaping the industry, offering growers practical insights and farmer-led strategies for modern agriculture.
February 19, 2026 02:08 PM
·