A partnership to address key economic and ecological concerns in BC Berries: Pest management, pollination services, and alternative cropping systems

该提案为不列颠哥伦比亚省浆果产业在景观改造、生物监测和精确管理方面提供了新的经济机会。具体而言，我们建议采用协作网络方法，结合害虫管理、授粉生物学、生态系统服务和景观生态学方面的研究专长，以及土地保护和商业作物生产方面的管理专长，确定在农场实施栖息地改造的生态和经济可持续性。这将包括对目前与项目团队成员建立研究伙伴关系的参与农场的现有实验性栖息地修订进行长期评估。重要的是，这些长期评估将为种植者和浆果行业提供关键信息，以支持景观转型以实现生产目标，因为单季节测量无法解决年际变化，包括极端天气事件。此外，通过与弗雷泽河谷下游多个浆果生产商团体的合作，以及与三角洲农田和野生动物信托基金的合作，我们将在生产通道内设计和试点新的覆盖作物混合物，提供多种生态系统服务（即害虫管理、传粉者栖息地、养分和杂草管理），并有可能支持碳汇和温室气体排放目标。最后，我们与加拿大农业和农业食品部、不列颠哥伦比亚省蓝莓和覆盆子委员会以及草莓协会合作，建议部署一个数字检测网络，使用定制设计和开源的昆虫相机陷阱，并进行配对标本测序。这些工具将用于检测和监测新出现的和入侵的害虫，并支持种植者了解和预测害虫丰度的季节性和气候相关变化的短期和长期需求，并评估和快速适应管理实践。

This proposal addresses new economic opportunities for the BC Berry industry in landscape transformation, bio-surveillance, and precision management. Specifically, we propose to use a collaborative network approach, with research expertise in pest management, pollination biology, ecosystem services, and landscape ecology, coupled with management expertise in land conservation and commercial crop production, to determine the ecological and economic sustainability of implementing habitat amendments on farm. This will include longer-term evaluation of existing experimental habitat amendments on participating farms involved in current research partnerships with project team members. Importantly, these longer-term evaluations will provide critical information for growers and the berry industry in supporting landscape transformation to achieve production goals, as single season measurements fail to address interannual variation, including extreme weather events. Additionally, through partnership with multiple berry producer groups in the Lower Fraser Valley and in collaboration with Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust, we will design and pilot new cover crop blends within production alleyways that provide multiple ecosystem services (i.e., pest management, pollinator habitat, nutrient and weed management) and with the potential to support carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission targets. Finally, in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and the BC Blueberry and Raspberry Councils and Strawberry Association, we propose to deploy a digital detection web using custom designed and open-source insect camera traps with paired specimen sequencing. These tools will be used to detect and monitor emergent and invasive insect pest and support the short- and long-term needs of growers to understand and predict seasonal and climate related changes in pest abundances, and evaluate and quickly adapt management practices.