About the Project
The University of Exeter in partnership with the Food & Environment Research Agency (Fera) are inviting applications for this BBSRC Industrial CASE-funded PhD studentship to commence in September 2016. The studentship will cover UK/EU tuition fees plus an annual stipend of at least £14,296 per annum for four years.
Academic Supervisors:
Dr Dan Bebber (University of Exeter)
Prof Sarah Gurr (University of Exeter)
Dr Rick Mumford (Fera)
Dr Glyn Jones (Fera)
Project Description:
The spread of pests and pathogens pose a significant threat to agriculture around the world. The risk of introducing crop pests and pathogens (CPPs) into new geographical areas is increasing due to growth in trade, while changes in climate and farming practice are aiding establishment. Effective surveillance allows CPPs to be stopped in transit, preventing the need for expensive, post-introduction eradication. Knowing which CPPs present the greatest risk in terms of arrival probability and subsequent damage allows resources to be targeted efficiently and the UK has developed the Plant Health Risk Register (PHRR) to assist in this prioritization of effort. This project aims to support the PHRR by quantifying the risks posed by CPPs of potatoes and solanaceous crops, using statistical analyses of available databases. The family Solanaceae is the third most important in terms of global crop production, including many food (e.g. potato, tomato) and non-food (e.g. ornamental) ones. CABI databases list 860 CPPs that attack solanaceous hosts. While many potato CPPs are already in the UK (e.g. late blight), many still have the potential to arrive (e.g. Colorado beetle). We aim to quantify the risks based on historical spread patterns, drivers such as trade and climate and the biological traits of CPPs. Though the distributions and movements of CPPs are spatiotemporally continuous, analyses at the national level are informative because data is available at this resolution (borders are the main location for quarantine inspections).
1. Evolution of trade networks in solanaceous crops: trade is implicated in the spread of CPPs. The student will collate FAO data on international trade of all solanaceous produce since 1960. A graph-theoretic approach will be used to analyse the changing topology of the trade network, correlations and linkages investigated and the position and role of the UK analysed.
2. Biological traits of invasiveness: a traits database (biology, taxonomy etc) will be created using published data for solanaceous CPPs. Multivariate analyses will be used to group CPPs with similar traits and these then related to known distribution and perceived threat, allowing traits to be used as threat indicators.
3. Distribution of Solanaceae CPPs: distribution data on solanaceae CPPs has been obtained from CABI and other sources. Ordination and clustering analyses will be used to identify CPPs with similar geographical distributions, enabling known CPP assemblages to be used as risk indicators for missing pests. A trade pressure index will be developed, based on the probability that a CPP is present in each exporting country. CPP presence will be related to host, trade and socioeconomic factors, using a recently-developed statistical method that controls for variable observational capacity among countries. Using the model, the UK’s presence probability will be estimated for unrecorded CPPs.
4. Identifying high risk import routes to the UK: Fera/Defra holds key datasets containing information on the identity and origin of CPPs found on solanaceous hosts during official inspections e.g. eDomero inspection database. The presence probabilities for UK CPPs will be compared with interception records in these datasets, as a test of the model predictions; followed by case-by-case reviews where model predictions fail. Data on species distributions, trade pathways and biological traits will be supplemented using information listed in the CAPRA database.
Entry requirements:
Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a 2:1 undergraduate degree or higher. If you have a 2:2 degree but have also obtained a Masters qualification, you are also eligible.
Application procedures:
Click here to apply
You will be required to upload the following documents, preferably in PDF format:
• CV
• Covering letter outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake this project.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday, 3 July 2016. We expect to hold interviews in July 2016.
Funding Notes
These studentships will be funded by BBSRC and are available to UK nationals and other EU nationals that have had ordinary residence in the UK for three years prior to commencing the studentship. If you meet these criteria, funding will be provided for tuition fees and stipend. If you are a citizen of an EU member state without UK residency, you will eligible for a fees-only award and will have to find alternative means of funding for your living expenses. Full details about eligibility requirements can be found at this link: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/documents/studentship-eligibility-pdf/
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