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Review
Table I
Species of plants supporting honey bees for inclusion in non-cropped European farmlands. Data are from Gratadou P. (Jouffray-Drillaud, Poitier, France) and Allerit R. (GEVES, Lusignan, France) and Decourtye et al. (2007).
| Name | Family1 | Perennial2 | Sowing | Seed cost | Spring | Summer - Autumn | Melliferous | Agricultural interests | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rate | (Euros/ha) | Spring | Flowering | Sowing | Flowering | Potential | and potential concerns as plant cover | |||
| (kg/ha) | period | period | period | period | (kg/ha) | |||||
| Lotus corniculatus | F | P (2+) | 10–20 | 50–90 | March/May | June/Aug. | Aug./Sept. | Apr./June | 25–50 | Slow development, to be mixed |
| Lupinus albus | F | A | 100–180 | 110–190 | Feb./March | May/July. | Feb./March | May/July | Cultivated for its seeds | |
| Medicago sativa | F | P (3+) | 20–25 | 80–100 | March/Apr. | June/Sept. | July/Aug. | June/July | 200–500 | Very good for preceding a cereal crop, |
| very good nitrogen fixer | ||||||||||
| Medicago lupulina | F | P (2+) | 5–8 | 30–50 | March/Apr. | June/Aug. | Aug./Sept. | May/July | 50–100 | Good crop before cereals, should be associated |
| with other plants | ||||||||||
| Melilotus alba | F | B | 20–25 | 80–110 | Aug./Sept. | May/Sept. | 100–200 | Very good preceding a cereal crop | ||
| Sinapis alba | B | A | 12–15 | 15–20 | March/Apr. | May/July | 50–100 | Rapidly established, short cycle, very | ||
| good nitrogen fixer | ||||||||||
| Brassica sp | B | A | 5–8 | 15–20 | March/Apr. | June/Aug. | 100–200 | Establishes well | ||
| Phacelia tanacaetifolia | H | A | 8–10 | 30–50 | Apr./May | June/Sept. | 200–500 | Rapidly established | ||
| Raphanus sp. | B | A | 20–25 | 55–70 | March/Apr. | May/July. | Rapidly established, good nitrogen fixer | |||
| Onobrychis sativa | F | P (2) | 30–50 | 90–140 | March/Apr. | June/Sept. | 100–200 | Good before cereals | ||
| Fagopyrum esculentum | P | A | 50–60 | 110–130 | May/July | June/Sept. | 50-100 | Cereal “Pseudocereal crop” | ||
| Trifolium alexandrinum | F | A | 15–20 | 40–60 | April | June/July | Good before cereals, rapidly established | |||
| Trifolium repens | F | P (3+) | 5–8 | 20–35 | March/Apr. | June/Sept. | Aug./Sept. | May/Sept. | 50–100 | Good crop before cereals, should be associated |
| with other plants | ||||||||||
| Trifolium hybridum | F | P (2+) | 12–15 | 40–53 | March/Apr. | June/Sept. | Aug./Sept. | May/Aug | 200–500 | Good crop before cereals, should be associated |
| with other plants | ||||||||||
| Trifolium incarnatem | F | A | 15–20 | 30–50 | April | June/July | Aug./Sept. | May/June | 50–100 | Good before cereals, rapidly established |
| Trifolium pretense | F | P (2+) | 15–25 | 30–62 | March/Apr. | July./Sept. | Aug./Sept. | May/July | 200–500 | Good before cereals, rapidly established |
| Vicia sativa | F | A | 40–50 | 30–50 | March/Apr. | June/July | Aug./Sept. | May/June | 50–100 | Very good preceding a cereal crop |
| Vicia varia | F | A | 30–40 | 60–70 | March/Apr. | June/July | Very good preceding a cereal crop | |||
| Vicia villosa | F | A | 30–40 | 70–90 | March/Apr. | June/July | Very good preceding a cereal crop | |||