Quelles sont les pratiques agricoles les plus « durables » ? Essai de caractérisation des systèmes de cultures

Définir et préciser quelles sont les pratiques agricoles, les caractériser, permet de comprendre leur fonctionnement et de les évaluer à l'aide d'indicateurs spécifiques. Si cette caractérisation est utile dans le cadre d'un meilleur respect environnemental, autorise-t-elle à déterminer quelles sont les pratiques exemplaires à retenir et appliquer

Field testing of IPM-based cropping systems: a diversity of experimental approaches in Europe

International audienceIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) emphasizes physical and biological regulation strategies to control pests while reducing the reliance on pesticides. It is often based on combinations of control measures, because each available alternative measure might have a moderate efficiency. Field experiments are required to analyse the interactions between control measures, and to evaluate the sustainability of IPM-based cropping systems (CS). A network of European agronomists managing field experiments at the CS level was set recently, aiming at sharing data and expertise to enhance our knowledge on IPM. Comparing methodologies highlighted a diversity of approaches in CS design and experimental layouts. This diversity is partly related with the research context and objectives. Some experiments intend to explore really innovative strategies and gain scientific knowledge about how such innovative CS behave, while others aim at providing quickly adoptable solutions for local farmers. In some research programs, the experiment is part of the CS design process, and tested CS are regularly revised, while in other cases CS are kept stable across years so as to be able to evaluate cumulative long term effects. The concept of CS itself is viewed differently across scientists, and this affects protocols: some consider each CS as a sequence of techniques, which has to be similar across repetitions, others define a CS as a set of decision-making rules that allows a flexibility in the actual sequences of techniques. The main difference among experiments differentiates factorial layouts from systemic approaches: factorial experiments make it possible to quantify the effects of each IPM factor, and to analyse the interactions, without particular attention for the consistency among components constituting each CS. On the contrary, system approach focuses on the overall evaluation of CS designed with a great attention paid to their consistency, hence maximizing the chance to meet the system objectives (in the case of IPM, to use little amount of pesticide while maintaining the CS sustainability). Such field experiments are costly, so preliminary reflections defining the experimental strategy have a critical importance. Networking at the European level may constitute a useful exchange platform with potential scientific added value

Diversity of methodologies to experiment Integrated Pest Management in arable cropping systems: Analysis and reflections based on a European network

Diversity of methodologies to experiment Integrated PestManagement in arable cropping systems: Analysis and reflectionsbased on a European network