Montpellier Scientific Community



Plants and Cropping systems in Horticulture (PSH)

Director: Michel Génard
Research area
The Plants and Cropping systems in Horticulture (PSH) research unit is centered on horticultural food productions, mainly fresh fruits and vegetables. From an applied viewpoint, our goals are to design technical and landscape scenarios capable of enhancing plant product quality while improving environmental sustainability. To achieve these goals, we study different objects, the plant, the fruit, the pest population, and their response to various controlling factors. We also study cropping systems so as to describe plant functioning in interaction with the physical and biotic environment and the cultural practices.
Research highlights
Study of fruit quality as controlled by the plant genome in relation to agricultural practices and the abiotic and biotic environment. Research is conducted from the perspective of the quantitative integration of physiological functions in models explaining fruit development.
Analysis and modelling, at a whole plant scale, of interactions between resources (water, carbon, nitrogen and minerals) and the essential functions of the plant (uptake, management and use of nutrients), modulated by the environment and cultural practices.
Study of bio-aggressor-crop interactions and their impact on product quality and the environment. Research is based on functional approaches and modelling.
Study of the spatio-temporal dynamics of ecological networks (plants, bio-aggressors, auxiliaries and the impact of agricultural practices and landscape features on these dynamics).
Staff profile
Research Org. Researchers Professors Research Eng. Techn. & Admin. staff Doct.
Inra d'Avignon
17
-
9
24
13
Research teams
Ecophysiology of horticultural plants: the objective is to describe, understand and predict the responses of horticultural plants (quality, production, architecture) to genotypical choice and marked biotic and abiotic constraints, in order to assess the possibilities and risks of the reduction of inputs.

Ecology of integrated production: this theme gathers studies aimed at characterizing the cultural practices (including their impacts on biodiversity), at investigating the pests' and soil-plant system's responses both to agricultural practices and environmental conditions, and at studying pest-crop interactions. Up-scaling from the field to the landscape is a recent tendency
Platforms and other tools
The Computer-Modelling-Supervisory Team (6 staff) has a broad skills profile, serving PSH researchers and researchers at the PHI Centre and the EA and SPE research departments: modelling, database design, manufacturing and control of automated systems for testing, signal processing (measurement of gaseous exchange, sensor design), computer maintenance.

The analytical laboratory operates as a technical platform within the PSH. It is also a major component of the platform for the analysis of fruit quality for the PHI Centre. Six agents provide analytical services, methodological development and training for non-permanent staff. This department has developed skills in the analysis of primary and secondary compounds in different plant organs.

The PSH experimental installation (EI) is a set of infrastructures and various complementary processes, capable of satisfying most of the experimental requirements of the PSH researchers, and the PHI centre in relevant cases. A dozen PSH technicians and engineers participate in the operational maintenance of the EI and in the carrying out of trials. It includes:
- An insectarium: an entomology platform, primarily intended for the production of the biological models studied by the EPI team (codling moth, oriental fruit moth, aphids).
- Various greenhouses: Three existing greenhouses (3 x 60 m²); four 60m² S2 units in development (CPER 2007-13).
- A growth chamber platform (four phytotrons, three incubators)
- A hydroponic orchard: original soil-less growing system, using tubing that circulates a nutrient solution, equipped with "Totomatix" automated control of hydromineral nutrition
- A set of experimental peach and apple tree orchards (1.5 ha on the INRA station in St Paul), grown in either the ground or in pots.
- Various producers' orchards forming a workshop area (Lower Durance Valley) in the process of approval. This area (50 km2), mainly producing pome fruit, serves as a support for studies of agricultural practices, biodiversity and the effect of agricultural practices and landscape features on the dynamics of bio-aggressors and their natural enemies.
- A workshop equipped for the design and development of various systems often involving experimental prototypes and using various techniques (mechanical, sheet metal and electrical work).
Most important international partnerships
- University of oxford et University of Oxford Brookes (UK)
- University of Berkeley (United states)
- University of Bangkok (Thaïland)
- University of Belgrade (Serbie)
- University of Louvain & Gembloux (Belgique)
- University of Modena (Italy)
- University of Thessaly (Greece)
- University of Michoacan (Mexico)
- University of Talca (Chile)
- University of Cardiff (UK)
- University of Parana (Brasil)
- University of Meknès, INRA (Morocco)
- CEBAS-CSIC and University of Cartagène (Spain)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research
Facts and figures
Publications in international ranking journals
2010: 45
2005 - 2009:139


Representative publications
Bertin N., Martre P., Génard M., Quilot B., Salon C. 2010. Under what circumstances can process-based simulation models link genotype to phenotype for complex traits? Case - study of fruit and grain quality traits. Journal of Experimental Botany, 61, 955-967.

Franck P., Reyes M., Olivares J., Sauphanor B. 2007. Genetic architecture in codling moth populations: comparison between microsatellite and insecticide resistant markers. Molecular Ecology. 16:3554-3564.

Gautier H., Diakou-Verdin V., Benard C., Reich M., Buret M., Bourgaud F., Poëssel JL, Caris-Veyrat C., Génard M. 2008. How does tomato quality (sugar, acid and nutritional quality) vary with ripening stage, temperature, and irradiance? Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 56, 1241-1250.

Génard M., Bertin N., Borel C., Bussières P., Gautier H., Habib R., Léchaudel M., Lecomte A., Lescourret F., Lobit P., Quilot B. 2007. Towards a virtual fruit focusing on quality: modelling features and potential uses. Journal of Experimental Botany, 58, 917-928.

Génard M., Bertin N., Gautier H., Lescourret F., Quilot B. 2010. Virtual profiling: a new way to analyse phenotypes. The plant Journal, 62, 344-355.

Guillemaud, T., Blin A., Simon, S., Morel, K., Franck, P. 2011 Weak Spatial and Temporal Population Genetic in the Rosy Apple Aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea in French Apple Orchards. PLoS ONE 6(6): e21263. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021263

Le Bot, J.; C. Bénard; C. Robin; F. Bourgaud; and S. Adamowicz. The 'trade-off' between synthesis of primary and secondary compounds in young tomato leaves is altered by nitrate nutrition: experimental evidence and model consistency. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2009. 60(15): p. 4301-4314.

Lescourret, F., Moitrier, N., Valsesia, P., Génard, M., 2011. QualiTree, a virtual fruit tree to study the management of fruit quality. I. Model development. Trees-Structure and Function 25, 519-530.

Pagès L., Vercambre G., Drouet J. L., Lecompte F., Collet C., Le Bot J. 2004. Root Typ: a generic model to depict and analyse the root system architecture. Plant and Soil. 258, 103-119.

Prudent, M.; A. Lecomte; J.P. Bouchet; N. Bertin; M. Causse; and M. Génard. Combining ecophysiological modelling and quantitative trait loci analysis to identify key elementary processes underlying tomato fruit sugar concentration. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2010. 62: p. 907-919.

Ricci, B., Franck, P., Toubon, J.F., Bouvier, J.C., Sauphanor, B., Lavigne, C., 2009. The influence of landscape on insect pest dynamics: a case study in southeastern France. Landscape Ecology 24, 337-349.

Sauge M. H., Mus F., Lacroze J. P., Pascal T., Kervella J., Poessel J. L. 2006. Genotypic variation in induced resistance and induced susceptibility in the peach - Myzus persicae aphid system. Oikos, 113, 305-313.

Veres, A., Petit, S., Conord, C., Lavigne, C., 2011. Does landscape composition affect pest abundance and their control by natural enemies? A review. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment In Press.
List of software and devices developed within the unit
DART : a software to analyse root system architecture and development from captured images. Jacques Le Bot, Valérie Serra, José Fabre, Xavier Draye , Stéphane Adamowicz and Loïc Pagès.
Total annual budget
2008
2009
2010
Total annual budget (k€- including salaries)
806
706
621
External contracts (k€):
352
393
258
ANR
83
153
69
EU
196
115
76
Private sector
15
10
14
Others
73
124
114