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Iowa Soybean Association, Syngenta, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife team up on pollinator project

The Iowa Soybean Association is partnering with Syngenta and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help support pollinator habitat.

ISA conservation services manager Brandon Iddings says the groups are working together on the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Habitat Restoration Project.

“We’re focused on these low-production to no-production areas, sometimes it’s edge-of-field. You’ve got that waterway (and) it’s a good opportunity (since) it’s already grass (so) let’s get it into some native species to benefit these pollinators.”

He tells Brownfield ISA’s goal is to make farmers as productive, profitable, and sustainable as possible.

“So we work with farmers all the time on all these different projects, and then we can kind of bring in U.S. Fish and Wildlife for interested farmers to talk more about the pollinators (and) how can the pollinators benefit these landowners.”

Iddings says by establishing pollinator zones and prairie strips, the project has created more habitat for pollinators. 

According to a news release about the initiative, rusty patched bumble bee populations have increased tenfold since 2019.