Welcome to the Agroecology Joint Research Unit

How to develop a sustainable agriculture and provide a sufficient and good production, respectful of the environment?  

The developed researches lead in the Agroecology Joint Research Unit help to understand the biotics interactions particularly those between plants to plants and between plants to microorganisms. The analysis focuses on agrosystems with the aim to design innovative and environment-friendly systems. In that way, the developed researches answer two major stakes:

1. Analyze, understand and act on the interactions and regulations within communities with various spatial and temporal scales;
2. Offer innovative systems of cultures to ensure a good agricultural production in sufficient amount, while respecting  the environment

These researches are led to various levels of integration from the molecule to the community and different spatiotemporal scales like microcosm, farm plot, landscape, crop cycle, rotation. They implement complementary expertises such as agronomy; ecology; biology; physiology and ecophysiology; genetics; microbiology and modelling.

The expected results concern in particular:

1. In the academic level : the best knowledge and understanding (i) of the agro ecosystems’ ecology and ii) the plants and microbial characteristics (especially  genetic and physiological one), as well as mechanisms involved in the interactions of plants-microorganisms and in their adaptation to the environment;
2. In the operational level: the offer of elements to an agroenvironnemental diagnosis with bio indicators and reference tables. In addition, the researches provide the development of prediction models of the multicriteria impact of agricultural systems and the design of the innovative agricultural systems.

Philippe Lemanceau, Director of the Agroecology Joint Research Unit

Agroecology Joint Research Unit sites

Collective scientific devices

Internal Platforms :

GenoSol, Preservation and genetic characterization of the biodiversity of grounds

4PMI, Broadband Plant Phenotyping Plateform

Center of microscopy, Part of the federative platform DImaCell,

Biological ressources

Academic partners

1. INRA (National Institute for Agricultural Research)
2. AgroSup Dijon (National Superior Institute for Agronomic sciences, Food and Environment)
3. University of Burgundy
4. CNRS (National Center For Scientific Research)