Postdoctoral Fellowship for Amanda Denny: Characterizing Bee Pollination Networks in Diversified Agricultural Settings Using eDNA and Metagenetics

Wild bees are universally associated within increased pollination, fruit set, and increased yield in at least 15 commonly grown fruit and vegetable crops in the continental USA. However, in many geographical areas, data is virtually non-existant for which wild bees exist and which crop and noncrop species they pollinate. Meanwhile, wild bees often need additional floral resources throughout their lifecycle to thrive and provide sufficient crop pollination services, therefore a network-based management approach is required for sustainable pollinator management. In this proposed postdoctoral research project, I will collect and identify wild bees across a gradient of diversified farm settings, from both muskmelon (as a focal, 100% insect-pollinated crop) and adjacent crop and non-crop flowers, and sequence both the pollen from those bees as well as eDNA from visited flowers with metagenetic approaches. By connecting which crop and non-crop species are being pollinated by particular bee species, this project will provide recommendations for diversified farms on how to increase wild bee pollination services. Thus, the proposed work contributes to the AFRI Farm Bill Priority Area “Plant Health and Production and Plant Products” Program Area 1f. “Pollinator Health: Research and Application (A1113)” by providing foundational knowledge and an approach that can serve as a framework for pollinator research broadly. In addition, this proposal fits the AFRI EWD goal of “Advancing Science” by providing technical training that is relevant to the future of USDA, including the integration of agriculturally-relevant ecology with metagenetics and high throughput sequencing.