Guelph, ON. – Syngenta’s Ontario Operation Pollinator program, which is delivered in partnership with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), is set to build on its spring 2018 launch with a new initiative focused on attracting and promoting the health of monarch butterflies, in addition to bees and other pollinators. Operation Pollinator is a Syngenta program focused on research and partnerships to promote the health and well-being of bees and other pollinators given their essential role in agriculture and nature.
“Operation Pollinator has spurred considerable interest with Ontario growers since being introduced last year,” says Peter McLaren, president of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. “OSCIA is pleased to help build this momentum, and is keen to expand the program both in terms of focus and participants.”
Like the original Operation Pollinator program, participants in the new initiative agreed to convert one-to-two acres of lower-productivity land to establish a dedicated Operation Pollinator site. Farmers receive agronomic advice, and financial assistance to help offset initial site establishment costs. Seed is also provided and comprised of a locally-sourced mix of native plants, including milkweed, to help support the establishment of Monarch butterfly breeding grounds. The area will also serve as a habitat and food resource for native bees and other pollinators.
“The feedback from participants in Ontario after year one of Operation Pollinator was very positive,” says Paul Hoekstra, stewardship and policy manager with Syngenta. “We are happy to work with them to expand the focus to include Monarch butterflies, and contribute to the enhancement of Ontario’s biodiversity”.
In addition to the partnership between Syngenta and the OSCIA, other collaborators on this new initiative include St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre and Pollinator Partnership. The new initiative is fully subscribed with 20 southern Ontario farmers and rural landowners. They join over 30 farmers and landowners who signed up for the initial launch in Ontario, along with over 100 farmers in western Canada that are also participating in the on-farm Operation Pollinator program.
Source : OSCIA