Project description DEENESFRITPL A little sugar or molasses may keep mango crops in Thailand healthier The relationships among different species within an ecosystem display an amazing complexity. Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) are major predators of several insects that destroy tropical fruit and nut crops at great cost to farmers. However, they form a mutualistic relationship with honey dew-producing insects (Hemiptera) that are pests of mangos but provide the ants with food. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MolassAnt project will attempt to disrupt this mutually beneficial relationship between weaver ant and Hemiptera in Thai fruit crops by providing sugarcane molasses or a 50 % sugar solution to the ants. The goal is to enhance the production of mangos and of queen brood, a valuable edible by-product and delicacy in Thailand. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Oecophylla smaragdina weaver ants are important biocontrol agents of fruit crops in Thailand but their mutualistic association with honeydew-producing insect pests can result in an ineffectual crop protection and cause economic harm to farmers. I will take an innovative, application-oriented, and interdisciplinary approach by disrupting the weaver ant-Hemiptera mutualism in Thailand with sugarcane molasses as honeydew and sugar alternative in mango (Mangifera indica) and eventually improve the yield of mangoes and of queen brood, a socioeconomically valued edible by-product of which its harvesting is compatible with weaver ant biocontrol. Specifically, I will evaluate the impact of molasses and sugar provisioning on 1) weaver ant presence in the trees; 2) abundance of honeydew-producing insect pests; 3) weaver ant tending of honeydew-producing insect pests; 4) abundance of the natural enemies of honeydew-producing insect pests; 5) plant damage by honeydew-producing insect pests; and 6) quantity, nutritional composition, and microbial load of mangoes and queen brood. I will apply the experimental treatments (i) molasses provisioning of weaver ants, (ii) 50% sugar solution provisioning of weaver ants, and (iii) no molasses/sugar provisioning of weaver ants (control), with appropriate replication and sample size during 23 months. KU Leuven and Kasetsart University experts will coach and advise me in relevant insect identification, plant damage symptoms, interpreting analytical results, project management, and will analyse nutrient composition and microbial load of mangoes and queen brood. I will be exposed to a corporate research environment through a secondment at the biocontrol company Biobest. I will promote the project on Twitter and YouTube and organize a field workshop targeted at agricultural researchers. Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growingnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactionsnatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology Keywords entomology biological control insect pest multi-production systems Programme(s) HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme Topic(s) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01-01 - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 Call for proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships Coordinator KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Net EU contribution € 238 032,96 Address OUDE MARKT 13 3000 Leuven Belgium See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data Partners (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all KASETSART UNIVERSITY Thailand Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address NGAMWONGWAN ROAD, CHATUCHAK 50 10900 Bangkok See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data BIOBEST GROUP NV Belgium Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address ILSE VELDEN 18 2260 Westerlo See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Antwerpen Arr. Turnhout Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data
