How can an understanding of plant-pollinator interactions contribute to global food security?

Emily J Bailes, Jeff Ollerton, Jonathan G Pattrick, Beverley J Glover

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pollination of crops by animals is an essential part of global food production, but evidence suggests that wild pollinator populations may be declining while a number of problems are besetting managed honey bee colonies. Animal-pollinated crops grown today, bred in an environment where pollination was less likely to limit fruit set, are often suboptimal in attracting and sustaining their pollinator populations. Research into plant-pollinator interactions is often conducted in a curiosity-driven, ecological framework, but may inform breeding and biotechnological approaches to enhance pollinator attraction and crop yield. In this article we review key topics in current plant-pollinator research that have potential roles in future crop breeding for enhanced global food security.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCurrent Opinion in Plant Biology
Volume26
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2015

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