New pollinator guides released to support local landholders

The guides aim to help landholders better understand and support the insects that increase yields and keep natural landscapes functioning.

Released following Australian Pollinator Week, the three guides cover the Broughton (Orroroo and south to Barossa Valley), Saint Vincent (Port Pirie south to northern Yorke Peninsula and extending further south to Two Wells) and Southern Yorke (south of Ardrossan) bioregions.

They feature photographs, local knowledge and practical tips, including:

• How to attract and keep pollinators on your property all year
• Which pollinators are attracted to which plants
• Why pollinators are essential for food production and biodiversity

Commissioned by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, the guides were produced by expert botanists and field ecologists from the Wheen Bee Foundation and the University of Adelaide.

The Pollinator Guides provide information about each of the pollinator types that can be seen in the region, and how to identify them in nature.

Each guide features a list of local agricultural crops, forbs, shrubs and trees that can be planted to encourage pollinators onto local properties.

A recent scientific study on the Yorke Peninsula demonstrated the link between healthy roadside vegetation, pollinator populations and higher crop yields.

The study found that faba bean and canola crop yield and seed set significantly increased with proximity to healthy roadside vegetation due to pollinators living in these corridors (Amato and Petit, Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. Journal 2025).

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Resilient Ecosystems Ecologist Dr Elly Pratt said populations of insect pollinators were on the decline worldwide due to land clearing, pesticides and climate change.

She said the new guides provided important information about the critical role pollinators play in supporting agriculture and healthy ecosystems in our region, and that it is important to provide habitat year-round for pollinators, as they are an overall positive for farm productivity.

“It’s important that we understand what pollinators are doing for us because they are so important for food production – especially total yields – even though we often can’t see them at work,” Dr Pratt said.

“These guides are a great way to learn about how you can encourage these insects, particularly by planting pollinator-friendly plants in on properties and by protecting native roadside vegetation.”

Handy links

• To access the Broughton, Saint Vincent and Southern Yorke Pollinator Guides, visit the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board website
• For advice on planting for pollinators and to organise a property visit, contact elly.pratt@sa.gov.au
• For more information about the Wheen Bee Foundation visit the Wheen Bee Foundation website