This could have important consequences for pollination, with negative impacts on the natural world, researchers say.
Bumblebees are less likely to land on flowers sprayed with fertilisers because of certain changes associated with the chemicals, experts have said.
Dr Ellard Hunting, of the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences – who is the lead author on the paper, said: “We know that chemicals are toxic, but we know little about how they affect the immediate interaction between plants and pollinators.“Flowers have a range of cues that attract bees to promote feeding and pollination.
For the study, the researchers investigated the effect of fertilisers commercially available in the UK on different types of floral cues used by bees. A similar effect was also seen when the researchers sprayed the lavenders with a pesticide known as imidacloprid, which is banned for outdoor use in the UK and the European Union, but still used in the US and a hundred other countries.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Does vitamin D reduce COVID-19 severity?A new study examined published studies for a consistent association between vitamin D levels and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity.
Read more »
How many university students regularly consume energy drinks?How many university students regularly consume energy drinks? SapienzaRoma ElsevierConnect EnergyDrinks University Students
Read more »
Multinational consensus to end COVID-19 pandemicMultinational consensus to end COVID-19 pandemic NaturePortfolio UniBarcelona Pandemic COVID19 SARSCoV2
Read more »
Like some ants and termites, ambrosia beetles grow cropsA new study confirms the agricultural skills of at least one group of coleopterans
Read more »
Transcriptomic dysregulation across cerebral cortex in autism spectrum disorderTranscriptomic dysregulation across cerebral cortex in autism spectrum disorder Penn NaturePortfolio ASD Autisum CerebralCortex TranscriptomicDysregulation
Read more »