Beneficial Role of Pollination and Soil Fertility for Soybean Production in Mountainous Farming Conditions

Abstract

The synergetic potentials of essential ecosystem services have not been well explored under mountainous farming conditions in southern Africa. Cropping practices that maximize beneficial pollinators and reduce dependency on chemical inputs through efficient crop management in the mountainous environment are needed. The synergetic potentials of insect pollination on soybeans under varying soil fertility during two seasons in Phuthaditjhaba, the Free State, South Africa was examined. We manipulated soil fertility with fertilizer treatments and used exclusion bags to manipulate pollination intensity. High intensity of pollination services increased the seed yield by approximately 0.5 tons per hectare on optimally fertilized soil and 0.3 tons per hectare on minimally fertilized soil. This study found complementary benefits of using appropriate fertilizer rates on crop pollination. It is an efficient way to minimize losses in crop production and improve yields. However, minimal fertilizer application that is common among smallholder farmers still gave substantial yield in insect pollinator-rich environments such as Phuthaditjhaba. This finding gives an immense advantage to farmers in Phuthaditjhaba who tend to minimize the use of fertilizer due to financial issues. Harnessing the prospects from these ecosystem service benefits would help local communities to attain sustainable food production (SDGs 2 and 15).