Pest Control for the 21st Century: Integrating Biological Approaches for the Management of Crop Pests

With increasing concerns over the environmental impact of chemical pesticides, there is a pressing need to develop innovative, environmentally-friendly alternatives to chemicals. This project will combine both commercial and non-commercial approaches to the biological control of crop pests in the UK.
Specifically, this project will address the following questions:
1) Which environment-friendly pest control methods have proved most effective?
2) Can landscape manipulations to encourage the natural enemies of crop pests be as effective as commercial non-chemical control options?
3) When commercial and non-commercial biological control options are combined, do they generate synergies, antagonisms or redundancies?
This project will combine laboratory, field and desk-based approaches to the control of crop pests and seeks a numerate student with a passion for agriculture, entomology and/or ecology.
You will receive training in experimental design, statistics, microbial bioassays, insect husbandry and field ecology.
You will be based at Lancaster University but will be expected to spend several months each year in southern England conducting intensive field trials.

This funded project forms part of a BBSRC-funded Waitrose Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) between the Waitrose Partnership, their international food production and supply companies, Lancaster University, the University of Reading, University of Warwick and Rothamsted Research. Between 2017 and 2023, the CTP will deliver studentships on the themes of sustainable crop production, sustainable soil and water and biodiversity and ecosystem services in agriculture.