Moringa
Moringa crops cover 13,250 hectares in the state of Tamil Nadu in India providing a net income of ~$4000 (USD) per hectare per annum. It forms an important part of smallholder livelihoods in the state of Tamil Nadu in India which lies in a semi-arid agro-ecosystem. Our project is testing the efficacy of floral interventions to boost pollinators numbers within fields growing perennial moringa as the main crop. We selected 24 sites – 12 as control; and 12 with floral interventions (see map below). Within the intervention fields, marigold has been sown as an intercrop between rows of moringa trees and red lentils as a border crop on the field edges. Two seasons of data on pollinators, pollination and yield metrics have been collected and are currently being analysed.
Gallery: A few photos from our site network taken before and during our field seasons
