Organic management influences wild bee richness and crop pollination in apple

Organic agriculture is a more biodiversity-friendly alternative to conventional agriculture, the latter being a major driver of biodiversity loss. Perennial woody crops, like apple, provide nutritious food for humans and stable habitats for biodiversity. Yet, a global synthesis of the effects of organic management on pollinators and pollination has not been done in this crop. Here, we synthesized multiple studies to assess how organic versus non-organic management in apple cultivation influences bee communities (honeybee abundance, wild bee abundance, and species richness), and pollination (fruit set, fruit weight, and seed set). Organic management increased wild bee richness but had no effect on honeybee or wild bee abundance. Fruit set was unaffected by management or bee metrics. Fruit weight was lower under organic management and decreased with increasing honeybee abundance. Seed set was higher under organic management, and the effects of both wild bee abundance and species richness on seed set were stronger in non-organic orchards, suggesting a management-dependent interaction. We conclude that organic management supports greater bee richness in apple orchards, and effects on pollination vary between the considered pollination metrics. Our study as such underscores the need for developing integrated management strategies that simultaneously enhance ecological and agronomic outcomes.