INVESTIGATING OSMIA LIGNARIA AS STRAWBERRY POLLINATORS FOR URBAN VERTICAL FARMS

Abstract

Current population projections and the continued use of unsustainable agricultural practices point to a real possibility of a global food shortage. Vertical farming offers one potential solution to these issues by increasing food production without increasing land use. However, vertical farm development is restrained by high labor costs among other issues. This project explores the use of insect pollination in vertical farming to reduce these labor costs and produce higher quality crops. Specifically, we investigated the pollination ability of the solitary bee, Osmia lignaria, in a vertical farm growing strawberries. By setting up three small vertical farms, we examined the differences in fruit amount, size, quality and overall plant health in the presence and absence of O. lignaria. We further analyzed whether UV spectrum light and room temperature affected bee health and strawberry production. Our results indicate that O. lignaria can, indeed, pollinate strawberries in a vertical farm. Both strawberry production and bee health were better in cooler temperatures, and bee mortality rates were lower in the presence of UV light. However, O. lignaria’s unique life cycle may cause complications for their year-round use. Regardless, our findings suggest solitary bees could be a useful resource to reduce vertical farm costs, but they also highlight the need for further research to develop vertical farming.