Brazilian Researchers Promote Targeted Application of Bees for Coffee

A small, stingless bee may be able to raise coffee yields while fitting into real-world pest control programs, according to a new study from Brazil.

In a field study on full-sun arabica farms, researchers reported a 67% higher fruit yield on coffee branches closer to colonies of the native stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis, compared with branches farther away. The study was recently published in Frontiers in Bee Science.

The study adds to a broad body of evidence suggesting that an increase in certain pollinators — and the habitat that supports them — can help increase arabica yields.

It also took into account real-world pest control conditions, exploring how the colonies held up under common pesticides applied the previous year.

In the study, colonies placed on conventional farms showed similar brood production and brood mortality as colonies placed on organic farms, even though low residues of insecticides were detected in leaves, nectar and pollen.

“Managed stingless bees can markedly enhance coffee production without experiencing measurable detrimental effects under current label-compliant neonicotinoid use,” the Brazilian research team wrote. “These findings offer practical insights for developing more sustainable coffee production strategies that align productivity with pollinator health and conservation.”

The new research follows a 2022 global meta-analysis that found animal pollination increased arabica fruit set by about 18% on average across 11 case studies. Another major study that year found that farms without birds and bees experienced a 25% decline in yield compared to farms that had both. 

For the new study, the researchers studied six conventional farms in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. They placed S. depilis colonies at a density of 10 colonies per hectare, then compared yield on branches within 50 meters of colonies versus branches about 200-300 meters away.

To evaluate colony health under real farm conditions, the team also monitored colonies on six conventional farms and two organic farms. Pesticides on the conventional farms were applied the previous year, prior to the bees’ introduction, and the research team noted that effects on pollinators may vary widely from farm to farm based on timing, insecticides and methods of application.

However, the authors suggest the study may further illuminate how “manipulating pollinator abundance in coffee farms” can help farmers plan practical applications.

Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. For all the latest coffee industry news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter.