Source: MORNING AG CLIPS, 4/17/17

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists are digging into the soil around alfalfa fields near Touchet, Washington, to unearth new clues to improve the lives of the crop’s chief insect pollinator: the alkali bee. Alkali bees are champion alfalfa flower pollinators—even outperforming the respected honey bee. So much so, some Touchet farmers maintain open soil parcels called “bee beds” to encourage female alkali bees to dig their nests and raise their young, ensuring generations of pollinators for seasons to come.

For more of this story, click here.