Investigation of the influence of intercropping maize with phacelia or commercial flower strips on pollinators
Master Thesis (2 topics)
Research area
Crop Science
Motivation / State of the art / Relevance
In 2021, we established a maize-based intercropping field experiment with plots with maize only, phacelia only, commercial flowering strip mixture only, and maize intercropped either with phacelia or the flowering mixture in an additive design.
Objectives
Topic 1: What are the effects of intercropping maize with phacelia or other flowers on pollinators (with focus on bees and bumble bees and hover flies)?
Topic 2: What are the legacy effects (do wild bees use flower strips within maize fields for nesting)?
Methodology / Procedure / Workscope / external cooperation
We collect data from these fields on several days. Specifically, we install RGB cameras and measure agronomic field data (plant height, shading, biomass, yield, etc.) and insect data (net catching, visual counting on a defined area). Since 2023 we installed malaise traps.
The task of the student will be to conduct these measurements (supported by staff members) either during the growth period in spring/summer 2024 OR after the harvest of maize in spring/summer 2025 with emergence traps (two topics!).
This work will include a literature review, several field days at CKA, some days in the lab (Campus Bonn) for processing the shoot samples and for sorting the insect samples.
Expected results
Experimental data analysis (text, tables, figures)
Timeframe
About 6 Months
Topic 1: spring/summer 2024. The first sampling campaign should be in May.
Topic 2: spring/summer 2025
Language
English or German
Supervisor
Dr. Sabine Seidel, Pflanzenbau, sabine.seidel@uni-bonn.de
Prof. Antonia Veronika Mayr, BIOB, anmayr@uni-bonn.de
Dr. Andreé Hamm a.hamm@uni-bonn.de
Contact
Dr. Sabine Seidel, Pflanzenbau, sabine.seidel@uni-bonn.de
Prof. Antonia Veronika Mayr, BIOB, anmayr@uni-bonn.de
Dr. Andreé Hamm a.hamm@uni-bonn.de
Additional Information
Project: Phenorob
Experiment location: Campus Klein-Altendorf (CKA) near Meckenheim