Development prospects and challenges for organic farming in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France

With 67,000 ha and 1,200 organic farms (OF), the Midi-Pyrénées region is the biggest agricultural area in France and second only to the Pays de Loire region in number of farms. Organic farming has developed rapidly over the past 15 years due to the steep increase in the demand for organic products. However, this was not always the case due to several factors linked to technical difficulties: market access, wide use of imports, a trend towards industrialisation, difficulties in mastering techniques, particularly for the production of high quality durum wheat, the ineffectiveness or absence of organisations intended to help producers, etc. As a result, the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council, which had supported organic farming for a long time, sponsored several studies to assess the sector’s development potential and future prospects (Demeter Conseil, 2005; Mondy, 2006). The conclusions of these studies will be used as a basis for our reflection on the means necessary to coordinate stakeholders in the field. The difficulties involved in the development of organic agriculture are real, but the importance of organisation requires particular attention. To address this issue, two research hypotheses were explored: the first one considers that the development of organic farming is not simply a question of technique or commercial advancement. The organisational dimension includes three elements that link the interactive dynamics between OF stakeholders in the region, the development of a regional governance network, and the enhancement of regional social capital. The second hypothesis clarifies the nature of the organisational dimension. It is not possible to apply a development plan similar to the one used for mainstream agriculture to organic farming. On the contrary, a new plan must be developed that takes the specificities of OF into consideration

Chemical nature and persistence of the oviposition deterring pheromone in the tracks of the larvae of the two spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera : Coccinellidae)

Aphidophagous ladybirds are reluctant to oviposit in patches of prey where conspecific larvae are present. This is adaptive as larval cannibalism is a major threat to egg survival. Ladybirds avoid laying eggs in such patches by responding to a species specific oviposition deterring pheromone present in the tracks of larvae. This study revealed that the oviposition deterring pheromone consists of a mixture of alkanes of which n-pentacosane is the major component (15.1%). These alkanes are likely to spread easily on the hydrophobic cuticle of plants and so leave a large signal. In addition, they are not quickly oxidized and therefore provide a long lasting signal. The latter was confirmed by the observation that 10 day old tracks still deterred oviposition

Enjeux et perspectives de développement de l’Agriculture Biologique en Midi-Pyrénées

Colloque Dinabio mai 2008 à Montpellier. 3. Dynamiques de développement de l'ABNational audienceWith 67,000 ha and 1,200 organic farms (OF), the Midi-Pyrénées region is the biggest agricultural area in France and second only to the Pays de Loire region in number of farms. Organic farming has developed rapidly over the past 15 years due to the steep increase in the demand for organic products. However, this was not always the case due to several factors linked to technical difficulties: market access, wide use of imports, a trend towards industrialisation, difficulties in mastering techniques, particularly for the production of high quality durum wheat, the ineffectiveness or absence of organisations intended to help producers, etc. As a result, the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council, which had supported organic farming for a long time, sponsored several studies to assess the sector’s development potential and future prospects (Demeter Conseil, 2005; Mondy, 2006). The conclusions of these studies will be used as a basis for our reflection on the means necessary to coordinate stakeholders in the field. The difficulties involved in the development of organic agriculture are real, but the importance of organisation requires particular attention. To address this issue, two research hypotheses were explored: the first one considers that the development of organic farming is not simply a question of technique or commercial advancement. The organisational dimension includes three elements that link the interactive dynamics between OF stakeholders in the region, the development of a regional governance network, and the enhancement of regional social capital. The second hypothesis clarifies the nature of the organisational dimension. It is not possible to apply a development plan similar to the one used for mainstream agriculture to organic farming. On the contrary, a new plan must be developed that takes the specificities of OF into consideration.Si l’AB a connu ces quinze dernières années un développement important, notamment avec la forte croissance de la demande des produits biologiques, son développement en matière de production marque le pas depuis quelques années. A cela plusieurs raisons liées à des difficultés d’ordre technique, économique, financier, et organisationnel. Si l’ensemble de ces difficultés est réel, l’importance de la question organisationnelle attire particulièrement l’attention. Ce texte traite cette question organisationnelle de l’AB, en partant des conclusions de cette étude régionale réalisée en partenariat avec le Conseil Régional de Midi-Pyrénées. Il analyse les modes de coordination des acteurs en intégrant trois composantes qui renvoient aux dynamiques interactives entre acteurs de l’AB dans la Région, à l’élaboration d’un dispositif de gouvernance, à la valorisation du capital social régional. L’objectif, est de pousser la réflexion et l’analyse prospective en matière de développement de l’AB, en évitant d’appliquer à l’AB un schéma de développement et d’accompagnement similaire à celui qui a présidé au développement de l’agriculture conventionnelle

Plantes-hôtes et prédateurs de la Cochenille farineuse du Manguier Rastrococcus invadens Williams, 1986, nouvellement introduite à Dakar, Sénégal (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae)

Host-plants and predators of Rastrococcus invadens Williams, 1986, newly introduced in Dakar area, Senegal (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae). Dakar area has known an invasion of the Fruit Tree Mealybug Rastrococcus invadens Williams since the first semester of 1995.The authors inventoried 13 attacked tree species and assess the intensity of the attacks. On these 1 3 plant species 7 ladybirds (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) species are met as well as a predatory Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) and a Chalcididae parasitoid (Hymenoptera) indetermined. Breedings of 2 species of ladybirds, Exochomus laeviusculus Weise and E. foudrasi Mulsant, were carried out to know more their biology.La région de Dakar connaît une invasion de la Cochenille farineuse du Manguier, Rastrococcus invadens Williams, depuis le premier semestre de 1995. Les auteurs ont recensé 13 essences infestées et estimé l'intensité des infestations. Sur ces 13 essences, 7 espèces de Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) sont rencontrées ainsi qu'un Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) prédateur et un Chalcididae (Hymenoptera) parasitoïde, ces derniers sont indéterminés. L'élevage de deux espèces de Coccinelles, Exochomus laeviusculus Weise et E. foudrasi Mulsant, a permis de connaître leur cycle de développement.Han Sun heat, Ndiaye Abdoulaye-B., Hemptinne J.L. Plantes-hôtes et prédateurs de la Cochenille farineuse du Manguier Rastrococcus invadens Williams, 1986, nouvellement introduite à Dakar, Sénégal (Hemiptera, Pseudococcidae). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 112 (1), mars 2007. pp. 121-125

Le pommier et ses bioagresseurs – Les composantes dynamique et structurelle de l’architecture de l’arbre modulent les dynamiques d’infestation et d’infection

National audienceTree architecture refers to the spatial organization of shoots and branches within the tree crown and also to the dynamics of shoot growth. Our aim was to investigate the effects of these two tightly related aspects on dynamics of infection of a disease, the powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha (Ell. et Ev.) Salmon) and dynamics of infestation of a pest, the rosy apple aphid (RAA) (Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini)) on the apple. Two INRA-bred scab-resistant (Vf) cultivars, ‘Pitchounette’ and ‘Ariane’, were chosen and trained according to two contrasted architectural managements referring to existing training systems. The Centrifugal training system is characterized by the removal of spurs along the branch to decrease branching density. This procedure increases light penetration within the crown and improves fruit quality and return-bloom. Centrifugal training was compared to a previously developed training system where branching density was not changed, the Solaxe. Our results first confirmed the low susceptibility of ‘Pitchounette’ to powdery mildew and to RAA, compared to ‘Ariane’. Second, secondarypowdery mildew infection was not consistently affected by training but was highly related to leaf age: an ontogenic resistance was demonstrated on old (roughly more than 15 day-old) leaves whereas young leaves were highly infected. RAA infestation dynamics was related to both an ontogenic resistance (old leaves less infested than young leaves) and was also driven by a main architectural component, the degree of branching. Indeed, a pattern of within-branch short-distance dissemination was confirmed and the number of branching points between two shoots exerted a high constraint on this infestation pattern. As a whole, our study reinforces the interest to breed apple cultivars for partial resistance against pests and diseases. For a given genotype, tree architecture manipulation, developed through improved training management procedures, may be an efficient although partial means to decrease infection and infestation dynamics.Dans le cadre des recherches sur les résistances durables du pommier aux bioagresseurs, nos travaux ont porté sur l’oïdium (Podosphaera leucotricha (Ell. et Ev.) Salmon) et le puceron cendré (Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini)). La maîtrise de ces deux bioagresseurs est en effet impérative en verger pour maintenir une production de qualité. Les effets de deux composantes de l’architecture de l’arbre ont été explorés sur deux cultivars issus des programmes de sélection INRA, ‘Pitchounette’ et ‘Ariane’. Le premier est la dynamique de croissance du rameau principalement en relation avec la sensibilité des feuilles, celle-ci étant probablement liée à un aspect trophique (attractivité des feuilles pour le puceron) et/ou à la mise en place d’une résistance ontogénique chez la feuille dont la phase d’expansion est terminée (oïdium). Le second est la structure de la branche qui agit sur sa colonisation par le puceron cendré. Nos résultats confirment la différence de sensibilité aux bioagresseurs généralement constatée entre les deux cultivars étudiés (‘Pitchounette’ moins sensible qu’‘Ariane’). De façon générale, la conduite de l’arbre agit peu sur l’épidémiologie de l’oïdium alors qu’elle modifie significativement l’infestation par le puceron cendré. Pour l’oïdium, nous confirmons l’importance de la résistance ontogénique foliaire : les feuilles jeunes sont plus sensibles aux contaminations secondaires que les feuilles âgées. Pour le puceron cendré, l’ordre de ramification, corrélé positivement au nombre d’intersections entre deux points de croissance adjacents, est un facteur important pour expliquer l’effet significatif de la conduite sur la dynamique d’infestation. En conclusion, cette étude confirme le rôle fondamental de la sélection génétique dans la recherche de cultivars peu sensibles ou résistants aux bioagresseurs. La conduite de l’arbre est un des éléments pouvant moduler partiellement les dynamiques d’infestation et d’infection des bioagresseur

Collaborazione di ricercatori europei sulla preparazione degli insegnanti: un esempio

Vengono confrontati i modelli di formazione degli insegnanti a livello europeo e sulla base delle diverse esperienza vengono indicate possibili linee di ricerca per legare la formazione degli insegnanti e il rinnovamento nella didattica della fisic