Conclusions

Insect pollinators can enhance production without additional inputs other than organic manure. Bees, mainly A. dorsata, A. cerana and Trigona sp. were the major pollinators on all cucurbits, except snake gourd. Traditional landscapes of coastal Uttara Kannada had all the necessary elements for sheltering and feeding of pollinator guilds which co-existed harmoniously with the cropping schedules of the local farmers. The rare survival of highly productive traditional farming system in the densely populated Indian west coast, the organic pesticides and the rich guilds of pollinators calls for also reexamining the suitability of traditional agricultural landscape management systems.