The TEE Lab- Tropical Ecology & Entomology LAB Asian School of the Environment
The TEE Lab is excited to share two new YouTube shorts that showcase key findings from their recent research project, “Riparian Protection versus Pest and Disease Control in Oil Palm Plantations.” This study, led by Dr. Chiew Li Yuen and Dr. Eleanor Slade, is funded by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, and offers valuable insight into sustainable management practices in oil palm agriculture.
Video short on YouTube (1) highlights key findings from research into ‘Riparian protection versus pest and disease control in oil palm plantations’
Presenting simlar content the Second video short on YouTube (2) highlights further findings The TEE lab research.
Riparian buffers in oil plantations are essential for maintaining water quality, biodiversity and wildlife movement. However, Oil Palm managers are concerned that riparian buffers harbour pests, such as rhinoceros beetles, which can cause an average crop loss of 40% during the first year of harvesting. A study from the TEE Lab was initiated to determine if riparian buffers were the source of rhinoceros beetle pests. The study found that most beetles moved within the palm oil with only a small number going in to the buffers. These findings suggest that riparian buffers are not a significant source of rhinoceros beetle pests in oil palm plantations, which enables researchers to engage with oil palm managers on the potential trade-offs between forest conservation and pest/disease management. Watch the YouTube shorts here YouTube Short 1 and YouTube short 2 .
The hope for these videos is to make the TEE Lab’s research accessible and to spark interest in this exciting field of tropical ecology and entomology. If you have any questions please contact Dr. Chiew Li Yuen (liyuen.chiew@ntu.edu.sg) or Dr. Eleanor Slade (eleanor.slade@ntu.edu.sg).
