‘Farming with alternative pollinators’ approach supports diverse and abundant pollinator community in melon fields in a semi-arid landscape

Abstract The presence of pollinating insects in crop fields is an essential factor for agricultural production and pollinator conservation. Agricultural intensification has been identified as a driver decline over the last decades challenges efficiency pollination. Several approaches are used to support pollinators their ecosystem services, notably reward-based wildflower strips. ‘Farming with Alternative Pollinators’ (FAP) aims attract sustain using marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP) field borders instead wildflowers. These MHEP selected conjunction farmers. We tested here whether FAP approach increases diversity abundance flower visitors melon semi-arid landscape Morocco. Moreover, we examined increase flower-visitor flowers. recorded total 1330 insect specimens including 573 wild bees. Lasioglossum malachurum was major visitor several MHEP. As were higher than control fields, conclude that can be valuable protection agro-ecosystems; 16.5% bees wasps showed spillover from fields.