How many bees are optimal
to maximize profits?
An economic analysis based on the model of alfalfa pollination.
Slide 1 of 17
Notes:
In the previous slide show we saw that large bee populations maximize the
rate of pollination in alfalfa seed fields, thus minimizing the time to
pollinate the field. Is this the tradeoff between bee yields and seed yields
that we were expecting? What is the optimum number of bees for a grower to
introduce into a field in order to maximize profits? Using my model of
alfalfa pollination, and data from field monitoring, I made a first attempt
to answer these questions.