Evaluating the efficacy of plant-enhancing products in seed production

The Bee-Tech Group is trialling 11 plant-enhancing products to assess their impact on pollen quality, an overlooked yet vital indicator of seed production and crop resilience under climate stress.

- Octavia Avesca Spandiel

The Bee-Tech Group launched a first-of-its-kind spring field trial that puts pollen quality at the centre of seed production research, challenging long-held assumptions in agriculture. Spanning multiple seed production sites, the study began earlier this season and will run through flowering and early fruit set.

Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Jaimee Harris, head researcher at the Bee-Tech Group, said the team is testing 11 plant-enhancing products, ranging from biostimulants and micronutrient blends to hormone-based regulators and experimental formulations, to determine how each influences pollen viability, concentration, and ultimately, crop performance.

POLLEN OVERLOOKED

"Historically, most breeding and agronomy work focused on seed count or fruit size, assuming pollen was abundant and viable enough for reproduction. Pollination was expected to just take care of itself, especially with natural pollinators present," said Harris.

According to her, for decades, pollen quality remained overlooked in field trials, often dismissed as a secondary factor behind yield and fruiting. However, in today's climate-pressured farming systems, this oversight may have come at a cost.