Faced with an accelerating rate of environmental change and the associated need for a more sustainable, lower-input agriculture, the urgent new challenge facing crop science is to find ways to introduce greater diversity to cropping systems. However, there is a dearth of generic formalism in programmes seeking to diversified crops. A new framework is proposed, deriving from ecological theory which should allow incorporation of diversity targets within plant breeding programmes. While ecological theory provides criteria for maintaining diversity and optimising the production of mixtures, such criteria are rarely fully realised in natural ecosystems. Conversely, crop breeding should optimise both agronomic value and the ability of plants to perform and live with one another. This perspective represents an opportunity to develop more sustainable crops and also a radical new way to apply ecological theory to cropping systems.

Contact :

Cyrille Violle

CEFE

Cette présentation sera suivi d’un point d’étape du groupe de réflexion en agro-écologie d’AGAP (H Joly) et d’une discussion