Abstract
The study aims to evaluate different flowering plants in terms of their attractiveness to pollinators and natural enemies, and to provide a list of species optimized for Bulgarian conditions. The field experiments were carried out in 2021-2023 in the region of Plovdiv. A total of 21 flowering plant species were tested. The number of pollinators (honey bees, bumble bees, etc.) attracted was highest on Phacelia tanacetifolia (3.3 ± 0.8 SE), Foeniculum vulgare (1.4 ± 0.5 SE), Borago officinalis (1.3 ± 0.4 SE), and Coriandrum sativum (1.2 ±0.3 SE) in 2022. The flowering plant species P. tanacetifolia, C. sativum, and B. officinalis were among the most attractive to natural enemies, mainly predators. In 2023 P. tanacetifolia (25.3 ±1.7 SE), Echium plantagineum (15.0 ±2.9 SE), Fagopirum esculentum (9.1 ± 1.3 SE), B. officinalis (7.4 ±1.9 SE) and C. sativum (3.5 ±0.9 SE) attracted the highest number of pollinators, while Anethum graveolens, Sinapis alba, and C. sativum were the most attractive plants for predators. Therefore, based on the observations in 2021-2023 three plant species lacy phacelia, borage, and coriander are highly recommended for inclusion in flower strip mixtures due to their strong appeal to various beneficial insects.
Keywords: ecosystem service providers, flower stripes, natural enemies, oil seed rape, pests