Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
The grain production and export industry is the largest agricultural industry in Australia. Insect pests pose a significant problem to the industry as their presence can lead to significant commodity loss, commodity spoilage and more importantly, form a trade barrier. Developing an understanding of the ecology of pests that attack stored grain is therefore essential. In this project, the spatial ecology of three of the major grains pests in Australia will be examined. The aim of the project is to examine the spatial aggregation and association of these pests in response to ecological influences. Specifically you will investigate diurnal movement patterns of stored product pests considering:
- Their possible movement within grain throughout the day and night
- Their location at different times during a day/night cycle
- Ecological triggers for movement
- The possibility that movement is related to dispersal.
These questions will be examined during a series of laboratory experiments using both direct and video sampling methods. Experiments will be replicated under a number of varying conditions to simulate the natural storage environment.
- Study level
- PhD
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Keywords
- ecology, grain production, pest species, insect pests, entomology
- Contact
-
Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Grant Hamilton
