TROPICAL - Translating Research Opportunities to enhance Pollination benefits to economically Important Crops And improve Livelihoods

雷丁大学的PI和Co-Is团队在这项提案中一直处于开发和测试科学的前沿，这些科学支持优化授粉服务交付，以提高苹果等经济重要作物的产量和质量。我们的研究支持的新型传粉者/授粉管理实践有助于为英国和整个欧盟的授粉服务管理提供信息。这些方法可以很容易地转化为其他种植系统中特定环境的生态干预措施，以改善作物授粉。我们的目标是利用我们的研究来加强官方发展援助国家的可持续作物生产和农业系统，为了这个提议，我们正在与印度泰米尔纳德邦的小农户合作。印度是一个拥有6700万人口的国家，其中约45%的人口以农业为主要生计，印度有许多具有高经济和营养价值的作物，约有5000万公顷依赖传粉者的作物：目前存在的120万个管理蜂群目前不足以满足作物授粉需求，导致产量和利润的潜在损失。因此，通过改善野生传粉者群落的授粉，有很大的机会提高产量。芒果和辣木是高度依赖昆虫授粉的两种主要作物，它们将是适应和定制英国生产系统中已经使用的特定干预措施的理想作物。泰米尔纳德邦的芒果种植面积为132.7万公顷，每公顷每年的净收入约为6500美元。在同一个州，辣木种植面积为13250公顷，每公顷每年的净收入约为4000美元。因此，这两种作物构成了印度泰米尔纳德邦小农生计的重要组成部分，该邦处于半干旱的农业生态系统中，特别是在气候变化的背景下。雷丁团队与印度主要组织M.S. Swaminathan研究基金会（MSSRF）和Reddiarchatram种子种植者协会（RSGA）建立了牢固的合作伙伴关系，这些组织已被用于共同开发该项目，并确保将我们的BBSRC研究成果有效地转化为印度生产系统。在最近的GCRF公平伙伴关系项目中，我们确定了地点、耕作系统并收集了初步数据，以创造条件，确保将工作成功转化为这些新系统。该项目将在该领域采用跨部门方法，以实现跨性别包容。我们的目标是在一系列欧盟作物中采用已被证明有效的花卉干预措施，以提高印度作物系统中野生传粉媒介的丰富性和多样性，并评估对农民的潜在额外效益，如牛饲料、花卉或农产品销售带来的次要经济效益，和/或加强虫害管理。具体花卉干预措施的选择将根据与当地专家和男女农民的讨论来决定，他们将是这些方法的主要最终用户。该项目将构成一个路线图的基础，以便在印度和其他官方发展援助国家更广泛地推广这种方法，推广到其他昆虫授粉的作物。

The University of Reading team of PI and Co-Is on this proposal have been at the forefront of developing and testing the science underpinning the optimisation of pollination service delivery to improve the yield and quality of economically important crops such as apples. The novel pollinator/pollination management practices underpinned by our research have helped inform management of pollination services in the UK and across the EU. These methods can be readily translated into context specific ecological interventions in other cropping systems to improve the crop pollination. Our aim is to utilise our research to enhance sustainable crop production and farming systems in ODA countries and for this proposal we are working with small holder farmers in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. This is a state of 67 million people, with ~45% relying on agriculture as their primary livelihood India has many crops of high economic and nutritional value with around 50 million hectares of pollinators dependent crops: The 1.2 million managed honeybee colonies that currently exist are currently insufficient to meet the crop pollination demands leading to potential loss of yield and profit. There is a significant opportunity, therefore to enhance production through improved pollination by wild pollinator communities. Mango and Moringa are two major crops that are highly dependent on insect pollination and would be ideal crops in which to adapt and tailor specific interventions already used in UK production systems. Mango cultivation covers 1,327,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu with a net income of ~$6500 (USD) per hectare per annum. Moringa crops cover 13,250 hectares in the same state with a net income of ~$4000 (USD) per hectare per annum. These two crops therefore form an important part of small holder livelihoods in the state of Tamil Nadu in India which lies in a semi-arid agro-ecosystem, especially in the context of climate change. The Reading team have strong partnerships with key Indian organisations M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and Reddiarchatram Seed Grower's Association(RSGA) which have been used to co-develop this project and ensure effective translation of our BBSRC research findings into Indian production systems. During a recent GCRF Equitable Partnerships project, we identified sites, farming systems and collected preliminary data to create the conditions to ensure successful translation of work into these new systems. This project will adopt an inter-sectional approach in the field for inclusion across genders. We aim to adapt floral interventions proven to be effective across a range of EU crops to enhance the abundance and diversity of wild pollinators within Indian crop systems and assess potential additional benefits to farmers such as fodder for cattle, secondary economic benefit from sale of flowers or produce, and / or enhanced pest regulation. The choice of the specific floral interventions will be decided based on discussions with local experts and men and women farmers who will be the key end-users of these approaches. This project will form the basis of a road-map for the wider roll out of this approach to other insect pollinated crops across India and in other ODA countries.