Functional Biodiversity on Farmscapes

This project supports farmers to adopt an agroecological approach that integrates non-crop plants into their management practices, rather than eliminating them indiscriminately. In the face of changing climates, there is a growing need to explore alternative food sources; therefore, the project also researches the climate adaptation potential of underutilized crops in the Mandla district of Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The project also addresses the pollinator dependency of the crops cultivated in the region, and their contribution to nutrition security. The research team aims to assess the diversity and functional ecology of selected resilient crops, together with their current and potential role in improving the food and nutritional security of smallholder farmers and schoolchildren, by connecting with ongoing work on planet-friendly school meal procurement and menu choices in the region.

• Documentation of species and functional diversity of crop and non-crop plants in smallholder agricultural landscapes and the traditional knowledge associated with it
• Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of plant-arthropod networks in the agroecosystems and how they respond to different farm management practices (cropping patterns, soil, and weed management practices)
• Test and compare digital solutions for collecting agrobiodiversity data at scale
• Assess the tradeoff between ecosystem services and disservices in the agroecological system, to develop a region-specific sustainable and resilient farming system

Other Project members from ATREE: Prasanna NS, Ravikanth G, Shrihari Hegde, Gowthami R