Enhancing the sustainability and improving quality of apple production through ecosystem service management

项目描述：当今农民面临的主要可持续性挑战之一是有效管理作物害虫。这对水果生产来说是一个特别的问题，因为新出现的害虫给种植者带来了特别的挑战。正在寻求可持续的解决办法，包括更好地利用野生天敌和昆虫传粉媒介，以提高作物产量和质量，并为种植者增加产量和利润。然而，天敌和野生传粉者，如蜜蜂和食蚜蝇，需要在集约化农业景观中并不常见的栖息地。我们需要新的和有效的方法来管理农场和景观，以提供栖息地，以支持生物多样性及其提供的生态系统服务。该项目的目的是了解在苹果园中建立的花缘在促进有益昆虫和改善作物方面可以提供什么好处。该项目是雷丁大学、克兰菲尔德大学、NIAB EMR和先正达之间的合作，并与英国苹果行业密切合作，开展最先进的研究，以解决行业相关挑战。这项研究将涉及在英国肯特郡的一个苹果园网络中工作，那里已经为授粉者和天敌创造了栖息地。工作将包括生物多样性调查、作物评估和成本效益分析，以了解栖息地创造对英国顶果产业的潜在价值，并帮助开发支持可持续作物生产的工具。该项目将提供在一个领先的农业生态学研究小组中研究可持续粮食生产的机会。它还将提供与许多应用研究机构以及行业合作伙伴合作的出色经验，提供出色的学术和行业经验。

Project Description: One of the main sustainability challenges faced by farmers today is effectively managing crop pests. This is a particular problem for fruit production where new and emerging pests are presenting a particular challenge for growers. Sustainable solutions are being sought including making better use of wild natural enemies and insect pollinators to improve crop yield and quality and increase output and profit for growers. Natural enemies and wild pollinators, such as bees and hoverflies, however require habitats which are not always common in intensive agricultural landscapes. We need new and effective ways of managing farms and landscapes to provide habitats to support biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides. The aim of this project is to understand what benefits flower margins established in apple orchards can provide in terms of boosting beneficial insects and improving crop. The project is a collaboration between the University of Reading, Cranfield University, NIAB EMR and Syngenta as well as working closely with the UK apple industry to carryout state of the art research to address an industry relevant challenge. This study will involve working in a network of apple orchards in Kent UK where habitats have been created to support pollinators and natural enemies. Work will involve biodiversity surveys, crop assessments and cost-benefit analysis to understand the potential value of habitat creation to the UK top-fruit industry and help develop tools to support sustainable crop production. This project will provide the opportunity to work in a leading agro ecology research group studying sustainable food production. It will also provide excellent experience working with a number of applied research institutions as well as industry partners giving excellent academic and industrial experience.