Which practice can enhance the safety of pesticide use for pollinators?

Implementing buffer zones around crops is crucial in enhancing pesticide safety for pollinators. Buffer zones are areas of vegetation or unsprayed land that separate pesticide application zones from sensitive habitats such as fields where pollinators are present. These zones serve multiple purposes: they help reduce direct exposure of pollinators to chemicals, provide habitat and food sources for pollinators, and enable natural predation of pests, reducing the need for pesticide use.

By keeping pesticide application away from sensitive areas, buffer zones can significantly mitigate risks to pollinators, enabling them to thrive while ensuring agricultural productivity. This practice is backed by research and guidelines aimed at protecting pollinator populations, which are essential for ecosystem health and food production.