Associer des itinéraires techniques de niveau d'intrants variés à des variétés rustiques de blé tendre : évaluation économique, environnementale et énergétique

International audienceL’impact de l’utilisation des engrais azotés et des pesticides (Aubertot et al., 2005) sur l’environnement ainsi que l’instabilité des prix de vente des céréales ont suscité un certain nombre de réflexions sur de nouvelles manières de produire du blé tendre d’hiver, en prenant notamment appui sur le progrès variétal. Ainsi, à partir de 1999, l’INRA, l’ITCF (puis ARVALIS-Institut du végétal), les sélectionneurs du GIE Club des Cinq et les chambres d’agriculture d’Indre-et-Loire et du Morbihan ont engagé une collaboration afin d’évaluer l’intérêt des variétés rustiques conduites avec des itinéraires techniques à niveaux d’intrants réduits. Ces variétés ont été choisies parmi celles présentant des caractères de multirésistance aux maladies et à la verse, tout en s’assurant d’un niveau de rendement comparable aux autres cultivars du catalogue. Le réseau expérimental multilocal mis en place de 2000 à 2002 a révélé des performances économiques satisfaisantes de ces itinéraires techniques au regard des recommandations locales, et ce pour le prix de vente moyen de cette période, à savoir 100 € par tonne (Loyce et al., 2001 ; Félix et al., 2002 ; Rolland et al., 2003 ; Loyce et al., accepté)

Contribution to organic breeding programmes of wheat variety testing in organic farming in France

Bread winter wheat is one of the most important cash crops for French organic farmers. Nevertheless, most of varieties available on the market were bred for conventional farming systems (with high inputs of mineral fertilizers and chemicals for crop defense). In order to obtain correct levels of yield and quality, it is important i) to screen current varieties to find the best suited for organic conditions, and ii) to rapidly obtain suitable varieties that are specifically bred for organic farming conditions. Bread wheat variety trials under organic conditions have been coordinated since the year 2001, to centralize and evaluate results at national level. The ringtest not only aims to compare varieties, but also to support organic breeding, as it provides an opportunity to evaluate the ability of advanced lines bred for organic farming to meet the needs of farmers and millers for agronomic and quality traits. Trials are also used to study specific traits required for organic farming (such as weed competitiveness), so that they can become selection criteria in specific breeding programmes. In addition, protocols and results obtained in variety trials in organic farming give information to discuss about possibility of low input VCU testing (Value for Cultivation or Use)

Organic Seeds And Varieties In France: An Offer To Be Developed.

The diversity of organic farming systems (“formal organic”, agroforestry, permaculture, etc.), the long rotations usually implemented, the diversity of processing (industrial, handmade) and marketing systems (supermarkets, short chain, on farm, etc.) generate a huge diversity of demands in terms of crop species and varieties adapted to organic agriculture.However, in France, farmers have a limited choice of crop varieties specially bred for organic conditions (only one durum wheat variety and 5 bread wheat varieties). So, they must sow organic seeds of “conventional” varieties. These organic seeds are largely those of foreign varieties (not listed in the French Catalog but in the EU one) and are therefore not the best suited to the local conditions and needs. It seems urgent to raise awareness among all the actors so that they can get involved in breeding programs to develop varieties and seeds for organic sector, through participatory approaches

Encouraging Registration Of Varieties For Organic Agriculture In France

France aims to establish a national catalogue with varieties suitable for organic production to support the development of organic agriculture. To this end, proposals are to clarify the criteria specific to varieties for organic production, based on the needs of organic sectors, and to build evaluation systems adapted to each species, combining, at different levels, trials under organic and conventional conditions

Designing varietal evaluation systems for organic farming : a multi-actor approach

International audienc

Phenology of grasslands: a new model

International audienceUnderstanding the phenology of grasses is crucial for grasslands management as it strongly affects the quantity and quality of the biomass. The floral transition (FT) of the apex is induced by the exposition to specific conditions of temperature and photoperiod. Under non-inductive climatic conditions, the apex is vegetative and continually produces leaves. After exposure to cold temperature and long photoperiod, the meristem completes its floral induction and starts floral development. Heading date (HD) constitutes a main marker of the reproductive development. Determinants of the HD identified are the advancement of floral induction, the final number of leaves and the development of the leaves and the spike. The aim of the present work is to present a model of FT for perennial grasses driven by environmental conditions. The HD is simulated from the phyllochrone and organ size, given by a functional-structural model of ryegrass. Model behaviour is assessed using a dataset of HD

EcoVAB - Evaluer le comportement des variétés en AB : construire aujourd’hui les outils pour demain

Among the different agronomic levers mobilised in organic farming (OF), the choice of variety is animportant factor in the design of arable farming systems. The ECoVAB project examined how to describeand evaluate a variety suitable for use in organic farming. The results confirm that the evaluation ofspecific traits is expected. This concerns especially the ability to compete with weeds (or companion cropfor intercropping), useful for all species, of interest beyond OF for agro-ecological transition. The workhas also shown that there is a continuum of varietal assessment between organic and conventionalfarming (CF), which varies according to the species, the criteria considered, the genotypes assessed andthe test conditions (intercropping, level of use of inputs, varied pedoclimates). It is therefore not necessaryto duplicate the networks in OF and CF, but rather to make them work together, with modalities in bothmanagement. Beyond the trials to be fostered, it appears that coordination between actors in the seedand development sectors is essential to optimise the orientation of varietal assessment, the disseminationof references and the production of high-quality seeds.Parmi les différents leviers agronomiques mobilisés en agriculture biologique (AB), l’entrée variétale est un facteur important dans la conception des systèmes de grandes cultures. Le projet ECoVAB s’est interrogé sur comment décrire et évaluer une variété adaptée à une utilisation en AB. Les résultats confirment que l’évaluation de caractères spécifiques est attendue pour les variétés destinées à l’AB. Il s’agit en particulier de la compétitivité vis-à-vis des adventices (ou d’une plante compagne en cas d’association de cultures), pour toutes les espèces, d’intérêt au-delà de l’AB dans le cadre de la transition agroécologique. Les travaux ont montré par ailleurs qu’il existe un continuum de l’évaluation variétaleentre agricultures biologiques (AB) et agricultures conventionnelles (AC), variable selon les espèces, les critères considérés, les génotypes testés et les conditions d’essais (cultures associées, niveau d’utilisation d’intrants, pédoclimats variés). Aussi, il n’est pas nécessaire de doubler les réseaux en AB et en AC, mais plutôt les faire fonctionner ensemble, avec des modalités en AB et en AC, chacun pouvant mobiliser des résultats issus de l’autre. Au-delà des essais à développer, il apparait que la coordination entre acteurs des filières des semences et du développement est essentielle pour optimiser l’orientation de l’évaluation variétale, la diffusion des références et la production de semences de qualit