Overcoming pollination challenges on Australian farms

Bees play a vital role in pollination in agriculture. They pollinate over 66% of the world’s crop species and are responsible for around one third of the food we eat. From nuts and fruit through to forage and seed crops, bees play a critical role in keeping farming systems productive.

Crops like almonds, macadamias, apples, avocados, cherries, berries, brassicas and lucerne all rely heavily on pollination. Both native Aussie bees and honey bees are essential to getting the job done.

The challenge is that large areas of Australia can be dry, sparse and short on flowering plants for much of the year. Outside of crop flowering windows, bees can struggle to find enough forage to maintain strong, healthy populations. When that happens, it can affect pollination efficiency right when you need it most.

Because of how important pollinators are, AlfaGen spent more than four years working alongside producers, apiarists and leading organisations within the almond and macadamia industries to develop practical solutions.

The goal was simple: create seed options that support bees while also delivering value back to the farming system. That work led to the development of our pollinator blend designed specifically for Australian conditions.

AlfaGen’s SOWsmart® Pollinator blend is an autumn-sown, spring-flowering mix designed to provide reliable floral resources when bees need them. Each component in the blend has been selected for traits that matter on farm, like fast establishment, rapid biomass production, and early maturity to flowering.

The blend includes a mix of carefully chosen species:

• Timok vetch
• Bee-Ready brassica 
• Smart Radish® radish, fungicide treated 
• Ninja black mustard 
• Rosella crimson clover Goldstrike® 
• Enduromax balansa clover Goldstrike® 
• Zulumax® arrowleaf clover Goldstrike®

Together, they create a diverse flowering window that helps sustain pollinators while also contributing to ground cover and system diversity.

Outside of stimulating bee activity, pollinator crops can deliver multiple benefits across your operation. A well-managed pollinator blend can help you:

• Support stronger pollination in nearby crops and improve crop pollination outcomes
• Promote biodiversity in farming systems
• Improve overall crop performance through better pollinator support
• Add flexibility as a multipurpose cover crop

Whether you’re looking to support pollinators, boost biodiversity, or improve crop outcomes, chat with your local AlfaGen Seeds Territory Manager about how the SOWsmart® Pollinator blend could work in your system, or check out our other SOWsmart® blends.

Remember, supporting bees isn’t just good for them – it’s good for your farm too.