Montpellier Scientific Community



Functioning and management of tropical and Mediterranean cropping systems (SYSTEM)

Director: Christian Gary
Website :

Research area
The JRU Functioning and management of tropical and Mediterranean cropping systems (SYSTEM) produces knowledge and develops tools for the evaluation, design and management of cropping systems combining economic performance and provision of ecological services. Emphasis is on the combination of tree and/or crop species with productive and/or environmental functions and on the promotion of ecological intensification in order to ensure stable agronomic performances (yield and quality of products) while limiting environmental impacts (pollution of water, erosion, biodiversity, etc.). Studies cover a large range of these multi-species and multifunctional systems in various tropical and Mediterranean contexts:
  • high-value perennial crops (grapevine, coffee, wood- and multipurpose trees) intercropped with cover crops, shade trees or annual crops,
  • complex cocoa- or coffee-based agroforests in the humid tropics with a high number of cultivated species.

These cropping systems are used as a background and as an application context to develop research on two scientific domains of systemic agronomy:
  • relationships between spatial structure, dynamics, and functions and services in multi-species cropping systems;
  • design and evaluation of cropping systems analysed as complex systems combining biophysical and decisional components at field and farm scales.
A large range of methodologies are used, including conceptual and numerical simulation, long term experiments, surveys and participatory design of systems. UMR System is leading MS and PhD curriculae on agro-ecology and cropping systems in SupAgro Montpellier.

Research highlights
The major aspects contributing to the international repute of the research unit are:
  • Analysis and modeling of agroforestry cropping systems in Europe and in the sub-humid tropics (facilitation and dynamics of soil resources, effect of spatial structure on the physical and biological environments of crops, trade-offs between production and ecological services);
  • Analysis and modeling of vineyards cropping systems (competition for soil resources with cover crops, crop development and sensitivity to pests and diseases, diversity and functions of cover crops);
  • Methodologies to design multifunctional cropping systems (prototyping, simulation-based assessment, multiple criteria analysis);
Staff profile
Research Org. Researchers Professors Research Eng.

Techn.&Admin Staff

PhD
Mtp SupAgro, Cirad, INRA
13
3
2
10
5
Research teams
  • Analysis and modelling of multi-species cropping systems
  • Design and assessment of multi-species cropping systems
Platforms and other tools
  • Experimental platforms to study the various cropping systems (two around Montpellier, one in Brazil, one in Costa Rica)
  • Networks of farmers and regional platforms for participatory research on the design of innovative cropping systems (two in France, one in Brazil, one in Costa Rica, one in Zimbabwe, one in Mali)
  • Simulation models or contribution to simulation platforms for the various cropping systems
Most important international partnerships
  • CATIE (Costa Rica), and IRAD and universities in Cameroun for agroforestry systems
  • Collaborations with a range of national research centers in Europe, Australia, the USA and in the tropics.
Representative publications
1. Malézieux, E., Crozat, Y., Dupraz, C., Laurans, M., Makowski, D., Ozier-Lafontaine, H., Rapidel, B., De Tourdonnet, S., Valantin-Morison, M., 2009, Mixing plant species in cropping systems: concepts, tools and models. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 28, 43-62. [I.F. 2008 : 1.649].
2. Lamanda, N., Dauzat, J., Jourdan, C., Martin, P., Malézieux, E., 2008. Using 3D architectural models to assess light availability and root bulkiness in coconut agroforestry systems. Agroforestry Systems 72 (1), 63-74. [I.F. 2008 : 0.845].
3. Celette, F., Gaudin, R., Gary, C., 2008. Spatial and temporal changes to the water regime of a Mediterranean vineyard due to the adoption of cover cropping. European Journal of Agronomy 29, 153-162. [I.F. 2008 : 2.376].
4. Lamanda N., Malézieux E., Martin P. 2006. Structure and dynamics of coconut-based agroforestry systems in Melanesia: a case study from the Vanuatu archipelago. In : Kumar B.M. and Nair P.K.R. (eds). Tropical homegardens: a time-tested example of sustainable agroforestry. Berlin: Springer, p. 105-121.
5. Tittonell, P., Corbeels, M., Van Wijk, M.T., Giller, K.E., 2010, FIELD--A summary simulation model of the soil-crop system to analyse long-term resource interactions and use efficiencies at farm scale. European Journal of Agronomy 32 (1), 10-21. [I.F. 2008 :2.376].
6. Neto, M.S., Scopel, E., Corbeels, M., Cardoso, A.N., Douzet, J.-M., Feller, C., Piccolo, M.d.C., Cerri, C.C., Bernoux, M., 2010, Soil carbon stocks under no-tillage mulch-based cropping systems in the Brazilian Cerrado: An on-farm synchronic assessment. Soil and Tillage Research 110 (1), 187-195. [I.F. : 2.25].
7. Celette, F., Findeling, A., Gary, C., 2009. Competition for nitrogen in an unfertilized intercropping system: The case of an association of grapevine and grass cover in a Mediterranean climate. European Journal of Agronomy 30 (1), 41-51. [I.F. 2008 : 2.376].
8. Valdés-Gomez, H., Fermaud, M., Roudet, J., Calonnec, A., Gary, C., 2008. Grey mould incidence is reduced on grapevines with lower vegetative and reproductive growth. Crop Protection 27 (8), 1174-1186. [I.F. 2008 : 1.201].
9. Ripoche, A., Celette, F., Cinna, J.-P., Gary, C., 2010, Design of intercrop management plans to fullfil production and environmental objectives in vineyards. European Journal of Agronomy 32 (1), 30-39. [I.F. 2008 : 2.376].
10. Le Gal, P.Y., Merot, A., Moulin, C.H., Navarrete, M., Wery, J., 2010, A modelling framework to support farmers in designing agricultural production systems. Environmental Modelling & Software 25, 258-268. [I.F. 2008 : 2.659].
11. Rapidel, B., Traoré, B.S., Sissoko, F., Lançon, J., Wery, J., 2009. Experiment based prototyping to design and assess cotton management systems in West Africa Agronomy for Sustainable Development 29, 545-556 [I.F. 2008 : 1.649].
12. Merot, A., Bergez, J.-E., Capillon, A., Wery, J., 2008. Analysing farming practices to develop a numerical, operational model of farmers' decision-making processes: An irrigated hay cropping system in France. Agricultural Systems 98 (2), 108-118. [I.F. 2008 : 1.708].
13. Ewert, F., van Ittersum, M.K., Bezlepkina, I., Therond, O., Andersen, E., Belhouchette, H., Bockstaller, C., Brouwer, F., Heckelei, T., Janssen, S., Knapen, R., Kuiper, M., Louhichi, K., Olsson, J.A., Turpin, N., Wery, J., Wien, J.E., Wolf, J., 2009. A methodology for enhanced flexibility of integrated assessment in agriculture. Environmental Science & Policy 12 (5), 546-561. [I.F. 2008 : 1.975].
List of software developed within the unit
  • Development of the Hi-sAFe model for agroforestry systems
  • Contribution to the development of the crop model (APES) of SEAMLESS for tropical crops, perennial crops and for crop associations
  • Contribution to the improvement of several crop models (STICS in France and APSIM in Australia)