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Agropolis Fondation funds 3 new federative projects

The Foundation has selected three new initiatives that seek to reinforce the Foundation's primary focus towards interdisciplinary approach, innovation, integration and international partnerships.

Called Grand Federative Projects (GFP), these are development- and innovation-oriented research activities that are expected to result into a real scientific breakthrough while addressing issues and challenges at the interface with upstream research disciplines or other scientific domains. Each of the projects received €1 million from Agropolis Fondation. Below is a brief overview of the three GFPs.

BIOFIS (Bioagressors and invasive species: From individual to population to species) aims to develop, coordinate and communicate research actions on bioagressors (insects, mites, trees, fungi and virus) in Europe and on their associated natural enemies. It will develop an accurate tool for the identification of potential invasive species, emergent pests and their natural enemies. This GFP will also contribute in better understanding the evolutionary processes implied in the establishment (and spread) of an invasive pest. This initiative involves a number of partners from 18 countries around the world.

FABATROPIMED aims to address an issue of strategic importance: nutrient use efficiency, interaction between Nitrogen and Phosphorus; using legumes as a tool to produce high protein content feed/food with much lower input; and biodiversity of soil bacteria and mycorhizae. This GFP involves partners from Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Morocco.

Rhizopolis, a federative project for plant root research, addresses several key challenges at the frontier of root biology. It aims to address the need to use nutrient and water resources more efficiently in producing crops, and in other human-influenced ecosystems. It thus deals with important scientific challenges with direct relevance to pressing human concerns such as global food security, climate change and agricultural sustainability. This GFP involves partners from nine countries from Europe, Asia and North America.

Contacts:

For BIOFIS - arnaud.estoup@supagro.inra.fr

For FABATROPIMED - drevonjj@supagro.inra.fr

For Rhizolopolis - alain.gojon@supagro.inra.fr