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(IP)-EPIC aims to answer several key questions:

1. Is manual pollination of cocoa sustainable in the long-term? (Can the tree support the enhanced yield?)

2. What insect species are visiting cocoa in Ghana in modern farms? What are the best pollinators?

3. What role does (a) proximity to forest and (b) shade versus full sun in plantations play in influencing where pollinators are found?

4. Does switching to a lower toxicity pest management strategy positively affect pollination?

5. What methods can work to boost pollination effectively?

 

The work will employ a range of techniques, including tried-and-tested approaches (insect-trapping, following flowers through to fruit-set and harvest), and novel approaches - especially eDNA work. Sampling eDNA from the surface of flowers to identify visiting insects is a relatively new approach that can tell us a lot about what insects use flowers, especially in environments where it is hard to observe directly.