4 Tips to Boost Yield with Bee Pollination in Agricultural Ecosystems

While managing yield-limiting insect pests is typically a primary focus (and a worthwhile one), when it comes to improving crop yield, don’t overlook the small winged workhorses with a big positive impact: Approximately 75% of all agricultural crop types depend on, or are improved by, animal pollination.¹

Do pollinators like bees increase crop yield?

Pollination from bees and other animals in U.S. crops accounts for an ecosystem service valued at $34 billion.² Not only do these pollinators generate increased yields, crop quality is also affected. For example:

• Oilseed rape pollinated by insects has shown higher oil and lower chlorophyll levels.³
• Canola flower timing, plant size, seed packaging and root biomass is affected by pollinators.⁴
• Cotton relies on bees for approximately 66% of pollination. Butterflies and flies contribute a fair share as well, helping to add about $120 million per year to the bottom line for Texas cotton growers.⁵
  

4 steps to boosting yield with pollinators

Put those busy bees to work. Here are four practices to make the most of pollinators:

1. Add honey bees to your operation

   Growers have started farming bees as well as crops to ensure a healthy population of pollinators are readily available to pollinate their cash crops. Western honey bees are the most popular pollinator employed by farmers, who set up or rent hives to put on their land.
   

2. Create and maintain pollinator habitats

   Honey doesn’t fly to the bee, as the saying goes, and pollinators won’t think of your cropland as a usable environment unless you attempt to attract them. Optimize unused land by growing flowers and plants (e.g., milkweed) that attract pollinators.

   Folks like soybean grower Shawn O’Conner, in partnership with the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), show the benefits of cultivating a low-maintenance pollinator habitat.
   

3. Practice safe pesticide application

   Reduce instances of unintentionally wiping out pollinators with an insecticide application meant to target pest insects.
   

   1. Use pesticides only as intended, following instructions to the letter.
   2. Apply pesticides during non-active hours for pollinators (late in the day or at night, when pollinators aren’t foraging). Allow enough time to let the application thoroughly dry before pollinators return.
   3. When possible, avoid spraying during bloom when pollinator activity is high.
   4. Use a targeted pesticide that’s certified pollinator-friendly. For example, Sefina® Inscalis® insecticide, labeled for soybeans, cotton, alfalfa, and citrus, has a unique mode of action that controls aphids with no pollinator restrictions.

4. Create a pollinator habitat with cover crops

   Planting flowering cover crops like clover, buckwheat or sunflowers can have high pollinator value, providing habitat, nectar and pollen resources. Select a cover crop with bloom times that are compatible with your production system and attractive to pollinators.

Programs and funding to kickstart your pollinator protection plan

Financial incentives are available for implementing pollinator-friendly environments in your operation. Farm bill programs like the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help you create customized conservation practices and pollinator habitats that are a good fit for your land and crop needs.

If you’re ready to make your operation a land of milk and honey (honey bees, that is), experts are available to help you make your decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent or your regional BASF representative for more info.

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Endnotes

1. Otto, Clint, et al. “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward.” U.S. Geological Survey Publications Warehouse, 26 June 2025, pubs.usgs.gov/publication/cir1556/full. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
2. Otto, et al. “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy…”
3. Bartomeus, Ignasi. “Contribution of Insect Pollinators to Crop Yield and Quality Varies with Agricultural Intensification.” PubMed Central, 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3976118/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
4. Adamidis, George C., et al. “Pollinators Enhance Crop Yield and Shorten the Growing Season by Modulating Plant Functional Characteristics: A Comparison of 23 Canola Varieties.” Nature, 2 Oct. 2019, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50811-y. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
5. Stokstad, Eric. “Butterflies provide ‘extraordinary’ help pollinating cotton fields.” Science, 12 Apr. 2021, www.science.org/content/article/butterflies-provide-extraordinary-help-pollinating-cotton-fields. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.