Managing pollination services at farm-scale: making 'ecological intensification' a reality

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This project asks how individual farmers can manage pollinators in their landscapes to provide pollination services to crops they are growing.The IPBES global assessment of pollinators and pollination identified 'ecological intensification' as a key strategy for supporting pollinators and pollination services worldwide. This approach to farming actively manages ecological functions such as pollination, pest regulation and soil nutrient cycling to increase yield. Demand for pollination in agriculture is growing, yet many pollinators are declining in range and/or abundance. You will do the underlying research needed to build a pollination module in the Omnia Precision software package, recently launched by CASE partner HL Hutchinson Ltd (www.omniaprecision.co.uk). The module will incorporate pollinator dependency of crops grown on the farm, identities and dynamic pollen and nectar needs of key pollinators for these crops, maps of floral resources, estimated resource deficits, with practical advice on how to correct them. Your work will be a major step forward in operationalising ecological intensification for real farms.You will join the NERC EnvEast Doctoral Training Programme at UEA (www.enveast.ac.uk), and the Hutchinsons Foundation graduate training programme for agronomists, setting you up for a career in sustainable agriculture at the interface between research and business. Key skills you will develop:Ecological sampling and experimental designEcological modelling Statistical analysis, including spatial dataApplications of GIS and remote sensing in landscape ecologySoftware developmentWorking with industry