The Cavalbio project

The Cavalbio project was initiated in 2015, with the objective of reviving citrus and yam cultivation in Guadeloupe through the genetic improvement of cultivated varieties. The project is based on ongoing genetic and genomic research carried out at CIRAD (UMR AGAP) and INRA (UR ASTRO) in Guadeloupe. The project is rich in the themes and research questions addressed, and the disciplines involved. Regarding the citrus, the project is part of an international research effort to revive citrus cultivation in the Caribbean and the Americas despite Huanglongbing (citrus greening, HLB) disease. For yams, the objective is to widen the range of varieties available to farmers, to optimize the culture adaptation to local conditions and agro-ecological cropping systems. The interest of new polyploid varieties is tested, because of their adaptability and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although several promising results have already been obtained, the project has hitherto lacked a dedicated interface with the media and the general public.

A website as a communication tool

The project website has been released on December 6, 2019. It presents the objectives and current researches being conducted, and the research partnership network within which the project is carried out. Detailed lists of publications, PhD students and interns are also available.

The site will be regularly updated with pieces of news related to the progress and results of the project. Some of them, such as the one concerning the publication of a popularization comic strip on the HLB, are already present. Short popularization videos, including interviews with the various researchers, technicians and students involved in the project will be incorporated as the year 2020 progresses, in order to make it more attractive to a non-scientific audience.