Research Brief – Buzzing with benefits: Short-term on-farm grassland set-asides support beneficial insects

🌱 Can grassland set-asides support beneficial insects?

A recent study in BC looked at how planting short-term grasslands on farms called grassland set-asides, impacts insect communities compared to regular cropped fields. Insects like pollinators and predators are essential to farming, but their numbers are shrinking due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.

🌾 This research focused on farms enrolled in the Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust’s grassland set-aside program. These farms plant grasses and broad-leaved plants in fields for up to four years before returning to crops restoring habitat, improving soil health, and supporting the transition to organic farming.

🦋 Find the full plain language summary of this research in the BC Food Web library.