D3272: Heat stress and its influence on a sub-tropical annual crop and its pollinators: Implications for agriculture in an era of climate change

The Southeastern Agricultural Region of the United States is vital to the fruit and vegetable market, providing specialty vegetable crops such as squash (Cucurbitaceae). Florida is the second largest producer of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) in the U.S, valued at over $35 million USD/year (2021) with crops entirely dependent on insect pollinators. These crop species and their pollinators are already being grown during the winter months at their maximum temperatures. This study examines how climate change-related conditions may impact these crop-pollinator systems by studying the plant and pollinator response to heat stress, their interactions, and the importance of pollinators in relation to changing climates and environments. This research will provide much needed information on the influence of heat on plant-pollinator mutualistic relationships in the tropical growing region of the United States, where extreme heat waves are already the norm. With support of the FIU Agroecology Program, the United States Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and local farming community organizations, this project will be shared as part of a collaborative effort to promote alternative management practices for sustainable farming