Insects pollinate cereals? The German channel ZDF makes a fool of itself with its ignorance in biology

Insects pollinate cereals? The German Channel ZDF makes a fool of himself with his ignorance in biology

Sabine Leopold, AGRICULTURAL HEUTE*

© stock.adobe.com/Christine

Wheat at the end of flowering. No trace of pollinating insects: cereals are self-pollinating.

My grade : The following is the summary of the original article. There ZDF reacted (see below).

In his series ” plan b », the German television channel ZDF propagates the idea that insects pollinate most grain plants. Correcting the error? No answer. This is not the first example of appallingly casual treatment of fake news in public service media.

The documentary series plan b » is presented by the ZDF [la deuxième chaîne publique allemande] under the slogan: constructive journalism “. It shows, can we read in the channel’s media library, ” that it is possible to do otherwise: the films tell success stories and present ideas for solutions to societal problems ».

« Otherwise »? Apparently the channel and the producers don’t deal with ” otherwise » not only societal issues, but also research and transmission of facts. In fact, for the past few days, every schoolchild has been able to learn with the help of the ZDF that our cereals are pollinated by insects. There are even images to illustrate this outrageous misinformation.

An important subject: the disappearance of insects

Last Saturday [18 mars 2023]the series of programs tackled the theme of light pollution: plan b: lights out! stars on! (shot b: lights off, stars on). One of the points discussed was the influence of permanent night lighting on insects.

It is uncertain whether the claim that insect numbers have declined by 75 to 80 percent since the 1980s is accurate. It refers to the so-called Krefeld study, whose methodology and interpretation are not unanimous [et que nous avons abondamment critiquée sur ce blog]. Moreover, the study does not concern the number of insects, as told plan b, but on their biomass. Nevertheless, the subject and the discussion of possible solutions are important.

Cereals are self-pollinating

But what are we to think of apparently scientific documentation which affirms that insects ” pollinate plants, including most cereals »? (For those who want to be convinced, [on peut voir la séquence d’origine ici. La vidéo corrigée est disponible ici. C’est bref, à partir de la minute 3:35]).

Cereals, it is easily discovered even by doing a very superficial instantaneous search, are self-pollinating. As a rule, fertilization takes place inside the closed flower. If external factors come into play, it’s the wind.

No illustrations available? The graphic studio works magic!

Apparently, the show’s creators weren’t even surprised that they mightn’t find – for obvious reasons – any photo or video material of bees pollinating grain from the usual agencies.

Berlin Producers has therefore cobbled together an animated computer-generated image showing how a honey bee “ pollinise » an ear of ripe wheat (!). And so, the false statement is also visually supported by animated images.

In the good tradition of public service

Shortly following the show ended, farmers, plant breeders and biologists drew attention to this blatantly false claim on social media (see link Twitter below). Nor the ZDFnor the production company Berlin Producers have not reacted so far. The program is available in the media library of the ZDF for all those who wish to know more regarding the fertilization of cereals.

And it will probably stay there, as the experience of the attitude of public channels to criticism shows. Recently, the channel ARD a « shines “in his series of shows” knowledge before eight (knowing before eight o’clock), with absurd assertions on the subject of biodiversity and phytosanitary products (program ” Meadows and pastures in danger », meadows and pastures in danger). Many specialists had criticized the broadcast and, as in the case of Bauer Willi, had addressed the channel EDIT LINK. It is nevertheless available as is in the media library of theARD.

(Source)

Ask the channel and the producers

AGRICULTURAL TODAY asked the ZDF and to Berlin Producers what would happen to this little film. So far no one has responded.

We can assume that in this case too, as often lately, the rule is as follows: for the ” good cause “, one can well distort some facts so that they correspond to the ” educational content ».

Update of March 20, 2023, 8:15 p.m.:

The production company Berlin Producers contacted AGRICULTURAL TODAY and writes in particular the following:

« […] in today’s edition of“agricultural today“, you write on the report that we produced for the series “plan b” from ZDF“Light off! stars on!” You criticize there – as do many users – rightly the factual error that we made in this film. Bees do not pollinate cereals, there is nothing to complain regarding. The fact that we made this error irritates us to the highest point.

We corrected the corresponding graphic today and assume that a correct version of the film will be uploaded tomorrow in the media library of the ZDF. […] »

We are delighted with this rapid reaction and hope that the erroneous film will be quickly replaced in the media library of the ZDF.

________________

* Sabine Leopold works for aGRARTODAY as senior cross-media editor for social issues. She is an editor at German agricultural publisher for regarding 25 years. She was initially interested in animal production, but for several years she has been intensively dedicated to communication and public relations in agriculture, and more particularly in animal husbandry.

Source : Insects pollinate grain? ZDF makes a fool of itself with ignorance of biology | agrarheute.com