Carrefours de l'innovation agronomique: biosolutions in the spotlight
Carrefours de l'innovation agronomique: biosolutions in the spotlight
On January 26, 2023, the Carrefours de l'Innovation Agronomique (CIAG) of INRAE were held at ENSAIAA in Nancy on the theme "Biosolutions: innovation processes and evolution of technical systems in agriculture".
Hosted by the Agreenium alliance and introduced by Dominique Potier, Member of Parliament, this day included presentations and workshops as well as a round table. They illustrated the diversity of biosolutions in agriculture and discussed their contributions to the agro-ecological transition.
Focus on the R2D2 project: regulation of pests by auxiliary insects
Several experts from Terres Inovia were present: Afsaneh Lellahi, deputy director of regional action and transfer of the institute, Delphine de Fornel, head of the North and East zone, Aurore Baillet, development engineer, and Nicolas Cerruti, functional biodiversity researcher.
The latter presented the R2D2 project, coordinated by Terres Inovia, showing that it is possible to mobilize certain solutions simply present in nature. This is the case of biological regulation, a process by which auxiliary insects contribute to the regulation of crop pests.
The R2D2 project thus combines the implementation of agronomic levers with the principles of conservation biological control. The objective is to support a group of 10 farmers cultivating 1,300 ha of field crops on the Burgundy plateaus in order to limit insect damage while reducing insecticide applications:
-improving the robustness of crops
-Favoring the natural enemies of pests already present in the environment and, thus, reinforcing biological control
-to favour crop pests on a territorial scale, in particular by setting up trap intercrops.
R2D2 thus aims to improve the resilience of systems and the autonomy of farmers with respect to inputs through an in-depth system redesign approach, from the plot to the landscape. In this sense, it is truly original compared to other solutions presented during the CIAG that aim to replace chemical inputs.
Innovative solutions, from amoeba lysates to kairomone-based perfumes
Among the solutions presented at the conference, we note the biocontrol solution developed by the company AMOEBA. This French company proposes the use of an amoeba lysate extracted from the thermal waters of Aix-les-Bains as an anti-fungal solution for cereals, vines and vegetables. The company is deploying its testing capabilities to better understand how this solution works, to work on its positioning and formulation. The financial costs of developing these solutions are highlighted by Jean-Luc Souche, as well as the "regulatory risk". The biosolution is currently approved in the United States, but not in Europe.
Ene Leppik, from the company Agriodo, introduced participants to the fascinating world of chemical ecology and the potential of "scents" to manipulate the behavior of insects, particularly crop pests. These "scents" based on kairomones and allomones attract or repel bioaggressors by drawing inspiration from the communication between plants and insects. They could constitute alternative solutions to the use of insecticides.
The role of these biosolutions in the agroecological transition of agricultural systems
Even if the application of such principles in the field is not easy, commercial solutions are emerging. The mass trapping of bean leafhoppers, marketed by De Sangosse, was given as an example. At the end of the presentation, expectations for solutions to rapeseed pests were expressed. The experts of the institute did not fail to mention the research projects co-financed by the Phosmet Exit Plan.
The discussions between the various speakers during the day, led by Xavier Reboud and Christian Huyghe of INRAE, as well as the four parallel workshops (biosolutions in field crop systems, viticulture, ruminant workshops and vegetable production), provided an opportunity to discuss these solutions and the conditions that would encourage their adoption by farmers, as well as their role in supporting the agro-ecological transition of agricultural systems.
Effectiveness not always easy to evaluate in situ
Some biosolutions can be formulated, marketed and applied in the field to stimulate natural plant defenses or control pests, but they are not identical to chemical products.
Their profiles are often more respectful of the environment and their modes of action, their conditions of application, and their level of effectiveness also differ. It is often necessary to conduct in-depth studies to get the best out of them.
Moreover, the effects demonstrated in the laboratory are likely to be modulated by environmental conditions, creating additional difficulties. For agricultural cooperatives such as EMC2, it is often difficult to sort out the products marketed, as the claims are so numerous and not always well founded.
The implementation of field trials is therefore necessary to facilitate the acceptance of these solutions by farmers, but their effectiveness is not always easy to evaluate in situ. From a methodological point of view, it is important to use the right evaluation grids by identifying and measuring relevant indicators. However, there is not always a consensus on these indicators.
In any case, phytosanitary firms such as BASF and CORTEVA have understood that the future is no longer all chemical and the agrochemical giants are now investing in new pillars of growth: seeds and bio-inputs. The maintenance of farmers' dependence on agro-supplies was regularly pointed out during the day. However, the interest of the big groups has the merit of draining important funds towards research to better understand pests and diseases, biological regulations and the mechanisms at play.