Axis 1 - Plant plasticity and ideotype

Manager Denis Fabre

With the increased frequency of stressful, even extreme, climatic events, it is essential to understand the adaptation (and pre-adaptation) mechanisms of plants to isolated or recurrent stressful events (temperature, water deficit, CO2, radiative processes). To study and quantify these effects, our research relies on know-how integrating different biological scales ranging from plant architecture, organ physiology (photosynthesis, biochemistry and C metabolism) to anatomy and histochemistry (stem, leaf, root).

One of the key hypotheses addressed in the work carried out in this axis is that the diversity of adaptive plasticity of plants is largely explained by the variation of C source-sink relationships between genotypes and environments. This theme is applied to the analysis and understanding of the variability of productivity (in biomass or grains) and vegetative vigor in constrained environments. It is also open to the problem of the capacity of cereals to sequester C through their roots and to contribute to the maintenance of soil fertility in current and future agro-climates.

Ultimately, the objectives of this research are to identify phenotypic characteristics (traits) of interest for varietal improvement towards ideotypes, and to propose phenotyping methods allowing the characterization of these traits on a large number of genotypes in order to analyze their genetic determinism.

This is done in close collaboration with the technical platforms of AGAPInstitut which allow the measurement of traits at different biological scales (from molecular to whole plant and fields) and with the geneticists and breeders of the unit who propose and know the genetic populations to be studied. This also concerns field methodologies applicable by/with our partners, in ranges of agro-climatic conditions relevant to the Partnered Devices or projects. The fields of imaging (visible, thermal and multi-spectral, airborne (drone), histological, root / aerial architecture, 3D ...) and spectrometry (NIR, MIR, RAMAN, fluorescence ...) are part of the tools implemented.

Axis 2- Plant interaction and cropping systems

Manager Myriam Adam

In this axis, we are working on the valorization of genetic diversity and biological interactions within agrosystems, by analyzing different options of cropping systems, including the possibility of multi-species assemblages, evaluating different ecosystem services other than the sole individual production of each species. This exploration of G*G*E interactions allows to feed the reflection on the adaptation of the models via a better definition of the limiting factors to be considered, and of the varietal diversity to be taken into account, via in particular a better understanding of the mechanisms of interactions between genotypes (functional diversity, allelopathy, impacts on the microbiota...). This implies optimizing the interactions between species and the use of resources. This issue represents a major challenge for plant breeding in the context of agro-ecological transition. PhenoMEn focuses here on the identification of traits and mechanisms of interest for the optimization of resource use (light, water, nutrients). This exploration of G*G*E interactions is done in collaboration with colleagues from the AGAPInstitut unit: the unit's breeders (GIV and DDSE teams) and the team's eco-physiologists, in collaboration with partners in the South.  Within this axis, we are testing mixtures of varieties, bi-specific or multi-specific associated crops, both in controlled environments (greenhouse in Montpellier), but especially at the growers' sites in collaboration with our partners.

Axis 3 – Plant and crop modeling 

Manager Frédéric Boudon

This axis contributes to the development of standards for the representation of heterogeneous biological data and methods for the analysis and simulation of these data. It involves the development of tools and methods for the analysis of phenotypic data and ideotyping of plants and plant communities. Based on the definition of mechanistic models such as FSPM (Functional Structural Plant Models) or crop models and their coupling with genetic models, it allows the exploration of varietal ideotypes or crop optima in a GxExM context. It aims at applying and improving these models for a wide variety of biological scenarios and is based on a generic modeling approach (coupling, modularity, standardization and sharing, parameter estimation, model exploration, including the implementation of deep learning methods, metaheuristics...). These activities are part of the development of simulation, information or data integration systems, in particular through the OpenAlea, AEGIS, DAPHNE platforms. It is transversal to the ecophysiological research questions of the team and its partners and also provides generic tools and methods available for partners in the North and South.