Insect pollination enhances yield stability in two pollinator-dependent crops

One of the most important challenges facing global agriculture is to ensure an adequate, stable food supply while conserving soil, water and biodiversity. The yield stability pollinator-dependent crops, such as pear apple, can be negatively affected by variability pollination service, which in turn reduce mean yield. We explored how crop were pollinators their provision service. Over four seasons we conducted a manipulative experiment six eight apple farms; fruit set (i.e., no. fruits/ flowers) was compared between flowers exposed those excluded from pollinators. also recorded pollinator visitation rate flowers. estimated levels spatial temporal both response calculating values per farm across trees within farm) coefficients variation (CV) for set. Despite homogeneous irrigation fertilization, found strong crops (pear CV: 0.57 0.4, respectively; apple: 0.62 0.52). Pollinator exclusion reduced considerably (pears: reduction 50%, apples: 71–92%), increased 296% 197% variability, 385% 329%). Visitation rates pears positively associated with related its CV. Also, this positive relation CV However, there no evidence that open-pollinated either or variability. Apple received one order magnitude more visits flower than trees, suggesting system service meets demand crop. Overall, our results highlight importance management practices prioritize thus ensuring high,