Sindhu Sheoran

Candidature

PhD Candidate

Thesis title

Effects of Landscape Scale Floristic Diversity on Pollinator Performance and Crop Pollination Efficiency

Research Project

The transformation of natural areas to agricultural landscapes is often linked with a decline in the diversity of native plants and associated animals, including invertebrate pollinators. My research project consists of two main parts. The first part focuses on studying the impact of co-flowering species diversity on crop pollinators and pollination efficiency in open field conditions, where Brassica juncea serves as the main crop. The second part of my research will be conducted inside glasshouses, where the crop of interest will be strawberries. In the context of glasshouse-grown strawberries, the research aims to examine the effects of co-flowering species (marigold, osteospermum, and lavender) on the visitation rate of stingless bees to strawberry flowers, proportions of nectar and pollen collectors among the visiting bees, the physical characteristics and quality of strawberry fruits, and fertilization of strawberry seeds through pollination services. Overall, this research aims to provide insights into the potential of co-flowering species to enhance pollination services and contribute to the development of sustainable pollination strategies for economically important crops.

Publications

Sheoran S, Kalkal D, Chauhan R, Rolania K, Ahlawat S, Gilpin A-M, (2023) 'Insecticide Efficacy against Earias Species Infestation of Okra and Residue Analysis of Chlorantraniliprole under Field Conditions in India', Horticulturae, vol.9, no.3, Article no.356

Sheoran S, Kalkal D, Rolania K, Kumar R, Kumari P, (2023) 'A comparative study of biology and morphometrics of two different species of Earias on okra crop', International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, vol.43, pp 1723-1732

Supervisors

Professor Sally Power and Dr Amy Gilpin