Photo credit: Stefano Lubiano

A recent study published in Animal Conservation found that there were more insect-flower interactions in organic vineyards when compared to conventionally managed vineyards. Researchers recorded the number of times insects came in contact with flowers in plots established in organic and conventional vineyards in South Africa. While they found that organic and conventional vineyards had the same number of insect species, insects present on organic farms visited flowers more often on organic farms. The authors believe these results are likely seen because organic vineyards are ‘friendlier’ to insects since they do not use chemical pesticides tend to support higher floral diversity than conventional vineyards. Researchers conclude that this research “supports other findings where vineyard habitats and appropriate biodiversity-friendly management can benefit the local biota.”