Harnessing agricultural ecosystem biodiversity for bean production and food security
Evaluating the biodiversity of field margins, to increase their potential to support key pollinators and natural enemies of pests for bean farmers in Africa.
Professor Phil Stevenson
NERC Merit Researcher/Senior Research Leader, Chemical Ecology
Department
Biography
I lead Kew’s research on the ecological function of plant and fungal chemicals, the interactions that plant chemicals mediate between plants and other organisms and the potential to use plants sustainably for enhancing ecosystems and improving horticulture.
My research focuses on the chemistry that mediates pollinator-plant and plant-pest interactions. This includes how plant chemicals affect insect behaviour, health and ecosystem function, for example through exposure to toxins or inadequate nutrition and the potential for plants to provide environmentally benign alternative pest control in smallholder agriculture. My work is funded by BBSRC, National Science Foundation (US), European Union, Peter Sowerby Foundation and the McKnight Foundation.
I hold a dual role as Professor of Plant Chemistry at the Natural Resources Institute (University of Greenwich).
Qualifications and appointments
- BSc, Applied Biology, Brunel University, 1988
- PhD, University of London, 1992
- Professor (Plant Chemistry) Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, 2011
- Regional Editor, Biopesticides International
- Subject Editor Bulletin of Entomological Research
- Editorial Board, People, Plants, Planet; Crop Protection; The Natural Products Journal
Selected publications
Arnold, S.E.J., Perry, G.B., Spinelli, G.R., Pierre, B., Murray, F., Haughton, C., Dockery, O., Grey, L., Murphy, S.T., Belmain, S.R. & Stevenson, P.C. (2018)
The significance of climate in the pollinator dynamics of a tropical agroforestry system
Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment 254, 1–9
Stevenson, P.C., Nicolson, S.W. & Wright, G.A. (2017)
Plant secondary metabolites in nectar: impacts on pollinators and ecological functions
Functional Ecology 31, 65–75
Barlow, S., Wright G.A., Ma, C., Barberis, M., Farrell, I.W., Marr, E.M., Brankin, A., Pavlik, B.M. & Stevenson, P.C. (2017)
Distasteful nectar deters floral robbery
Current Biology, 27, 2552–2558
Egan, P.A., Stevenson, P.C., Wright, G.A., Boylan, F. & Stout, J.C. (2016)
Toxic nectar varies at multiple spatial scales and in response to plant invasion
Journal of Ecology 104, 1106–1115
Wright, G. A., Baker, D., Palmer, M. J., Stabler, D., Mustard, J.D., Power, E., Borland, A. M. & Stevenson, P. C. (2013)
Caffeine in floral nectar enhances a pollinator’s memory of reward
Science 339: 1202–1204
Projects
Harmful or healthy? Studying how chemicals in nectar and pollen affect bees
Can diseased bees take advantage of antimicrobial chemicals found in plant nectar and pollen and self-medicate?
Pesticide Plants for Organic Cotton in Mali
Working with local farmers and national institutions in-country to understand the current use of pesticide plant species.
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