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

关于这项提议，雷丁大学的PI和Co-IS团队一直站在开发和测试支持优化授粉服务交付的科学的前沿，以提高苹果等重要经济作物的产量和质量。以我们的研究为基础的新颖的传粉者/传粉管理实践有助于向英国和整个欧盟的传粉服务管理层提供信息。这些方法可以很容易地转化为其他种植制度中针对具体情况的生态干预措施，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耕作系统，为了这项提议，我们正在与印度泰米尔纳德邦的小农户合作。印度有6700万人口，其中约45%依赖农业作为主要生计印度有许多经济和营养价值很高的作物，约有5000万公顷的授粉者依赖作物：目前存在的120万个受管理的蜜蜂群体不足以满足作物授粉的需求，导致潜在的产量和利润损失。因此，通过野生传粉者群落改进授粉来提高产量是一个重要的机会。芒果和辣木是高度依赖昆虫授粉的两种主要作物，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。芒果种植在泰米尔纳德邦占地1,327,000公顷，每年每公顷净收入约6500美元。同样的州，辣木种植面积达13,250公顷，每年每公顷的纯收入约为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，泰米尔纳德邦位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.斯瓦米纳坦研究基金会(MSSRF)和Reddiarchatram种子种植者协会(RSGA)建立了牢固的合作伙伴关系，这些组织被用于共同开发该项目，并确保我们BBSRC的研究成果有效地转化为印度的生产系统。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，确保将工作成功地转化到这些新系统中。该项目将在实地采取跨部门办法，以纳入不同性别。我们的目标是采用在一系列欧盟作物中被证明有效的花卉干预措施，以提高印度作物系统内野生传粉者的丰富度和多样性，并评估对农民的潜在额外好处，如牛饲料、花卉或农产品销售的次级经济效益和/或加强虫害监管。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决定，他们将是这些办法的主要最终用户。该项目将成为在印度和其他官方发展援助国家更广泛地推广这种方法到其他昆虫授粉作物的路线图的基础。

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.