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

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.

This project is impact-focused and aims to translate excellent UK research into measurable real-world outcomes to raise economic prosperity for small holder farmers in Tamil Nadu, India. Based on evidence from leading international research on understanding and improving pollination services in crops, we will use floral enhancements co-developed with local end-users to boost pollinator abundance and diversity in Mango orchards and Moringa fields.

Mango and Moringa are two economically important crops that are grown in a semi-arid region of South India and increasing pollinators and enhancing pollinator services will have a direct impact on productivity and fruit quality of these crops and provide an economic benefit for the small holder farmers in this region with associated ecological gains. The floral interventions will also provide additional benefits such as secondary economic crop value, fodder production and potential improvement in natural enemies for pest regulation.

Collaborating with in-country partners and end users, including both men and women farmers, who have been fully engaged in the conception and design of the project, will help ensure that the outcomes of the project have appropriate uptake and impact. With the support of our project partners we will facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge transfer of these ecologically sustainable practices through existing village knowledge centres and village resource centres as well as project workshops and demonstration days. The results from this project as well as the road map that will be developed have potential for scalable impacts at the local and national level.