IRC-SAE Presentation

Agro-ecosystems are subject to a number of constraints: climate change, declining biodiversity, agro-ecological transition (planned limitation of inputs, diversification of species), the need for regular, high-quality, more local supplies, changing consumer eating habits, changing public perceptions of agriculture, and so on.

In this changing context, production systems need to be adapted to meet a triple challenge: economic, societal and environmental. The projects developed within the International Research Center for Sustainable Agroecosystems share a common objective: to optimize the integration of agricultural systems into their respective environments and territories. This involves improving their resilience and sustainability, taking into account their performance in terms of production and environmental protection, and meeting society's expectations.

This project is built around three priority issues and two emblematic productions of the site: cereals and grazing livestock.  

• Design agrosystems adapted to future contexts and anchored within their territory and environment.
• Implement the agro-ecological transition, by limiting the impact of agrosystems on their environment, and promoting ecosystem services
• Develop the circular economy, by making the most of the synergies that exist between different types of production in the region.

To meet these challenges as effectively as possible, the International Research Centre - IRC-SAE project on sustainable agro-ecosystems has been structured around 4 complementary research axes.

Areas 1 : Adaptative Capacities of Animals and Plant (ACAP)

Coordinators: Muriel Bonnet (INRAE, UMR Herbivore) & Vincent Allard (INRAE, UMR GDEC)

Office members: Christophe Tatout (UCA, UMR GRED), Sabine Leroy (INRAE, UMR MEDIS), José Pires (INRAE, UMR Herbivore), Jacques Le Gouis (INRAE, UMR GDEC), Bruno Moulia (INRAE, UMR PIAF).

Context: Livestock and crop production are faced with highly variable environmental conditions and a shift in practices towards low-input systems or systems that make the most of available resources in the lowland and semi-mountainous areas characteristic of the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region.

Objectives: Identify the determinism of tolerance to constraints imposed by climate change, or identify/qualify this tolerance. The experimental unit targeted by axis 1 is the individual: the plant (in its canopy) or the animal (in its environment) in their broadest sense, i.e. including interactions with the microbiome.
The knowledge generated will be aimed at understanding the (eco)physiological and molecular mechanisms of tolerance. Tolerance will be seen as a genetic, morphological, physiological or behavioral characteristic that confers a survival or reproductive advantage on individuals displaying this trait, in a given environment.
These studies should provide knowledge and tools to facilitate the phenotyping and selection of plants and animals best adapted to the constraints induced by biotic/abiotic stresses induced by climate change.

Areas 2: Systems approach to (re)designing agrosystems

Coordinators: Sébastien Fontaine (UREP), Claire Mosnier (INRAE, UMR Herbivore)

Office members: Philippe Malagoli (INRAE, UMR PIAF), Sylvain Dernat (UMR Territoires), Gaëlle Marliac (INRAE, UMR GDEC)

Context : We aim to co-design and evaluate with farmers new complex agroecosystems based on the principles of agroecology, with increased connectivity between crops, herbaceous cover, trees and animals. The implementation of ecological systems and synergies between animal and plant production, favoring the regulation of biogeochemical cycles and bio-aggressors, will be central to preserving both agricultural production and resources (water, soil, air, biodiversity) over the long term.

Objectives : Develop new cover crops combining crops and companion plants, contributing to the ecological transition of field crops and/or the development of more sustainable livestock farming.
Design new herd management systems promoting animal diversification to make better use of plant resources and reduce inputs.
Implement methodologies for co-designing production systems with farmers to promote their acceptance, by mobilizing the knowledge produced on the previous two points..

Areas 3 : Interactions between agrosystems and their environments 

Coordinators: Pierre Amato (ICCF), Julien Pottier (UREP)

Office members: Alexandre Bec (LMGE), Anaïs Bompard (EPIA), Aurélie Colomb (LaMP), Maguy Eugene (INRAE, UMR Herbivore), Franck Jabot (UREP), Delphine Latour (LMGE), Erwan Rousel (GEOLAB).

Context : Interactions between agrosystems and their environment take the form of flows. The notion of flows implies transfers, transformations and gradients. All natural and synthetic, biological and chemical compounds circulate in our environment, undergoing biotic and abiotic transformations. They interact with terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric interfaces. So it's all about taking the measure of the interactions between agricultural systems and the environment in which they operate.

Objectives : A better understanding of how flows lead to changes in ecological functioning.
To achieve this, we need to understand the positive and negative impacts of these interactions, as well as their future evolution in a context of global change. Quantitative knowledge of chemical/microbiological flows and movements of organisms between agro- and eco-systems, knowledge of their functional roles on different time and space scales, application of the meta-ecosystem concept to the agro-ecological transition, knowledge of chemical and biological transformation processes to be able to reduce the negative impact of certain flows.

Areas 4 : Integrating agrosystems into territories

Coordinators: Salma Loudiyi (VetAgro Sup, UMR Territoire), Jean-Denis Mathias (INRAE, LISC), Pascal Carrère (INRAE, UREP).

Office members: Didier Rémond (UNH), Isabelle Verdier-Metz (URF), Juliette Bloor (UREP), Jean-Baptiste Pichancourt (LISC), Anne Bonis (GEOLAB), Virginie Baritaux (UMR Territoires), Chantale Chassaing (INRAE, UMR Herbivore), Nathalie Vassal (UREP), Michel Streith (Lapsco), Corinne Rochette (CLERMA), Frédéric Dubos (I-SITE CAP2025).

Context : In a context of anthropogenic pressure, the adaptive management of agroecosystems requires an understanding of how they function on a territorial scale. The societal challenges of agro-ecological transition require an understanding of all the socio-ecological interactions linked to stakeholder dynamics, public policies and the agronomic and ecological issues facing farms, their sectors and their territories.

Objectives : Develop interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to promote the resilience of agrosystems (understood as socio-ecosystems). Deploy these approaches on a territorial scale. Particular attention will be paid to territorial and sustainable food systems, and to the links between rural and urban areas through integrative and multidisciplinary approaches.. 

The IRC-SAE brings together 19 research units: INRAE, UCA, CNRS, VetAgro Sup, 
belonging to several institutes: LLSHS (Letter, Languages, Social and Humanities Science ), SVSAE (Life Science, Health, Agronomy, Environment), SF (Basic Sciences).

• 2 experimental units INRAE
• 1 EPIC
• 259 scientists 

Phéno3C

As part of the PHénotypage Au Champs des Céréales (PHACC) experimental unit, the Phéno3C platform aims to study the effects of key climate change variables - water stress and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration - on the performance of field crops in agronomic situations. It applies high-throughput phenotyping methods to a large number of genotypes, enabling quantitative genetic approaches. The aim is to guide varietal selection towards varieties that are resistant/tolerant to future climatic conditions. The platform is also a tool for researching, developing and testing new high-throughput phenotyping methods for characterizing plant cover..
 

Herbipôle

Herbipôle is a multi-disciplinary experimental platform for research on herbivores and grasslands, with a regional, national and European vocation. It is open to scientific and professional partners, and brings together complementary scientific approaches and disciplines in a single facility. The research projects carried out at Herbipôle focus on ruminant breeding systems in mountain grassland areas, with a view to preserving the well-being of these animals and the quality of their products (milk, cheese and meat), as well as their impact on the environment..

Website

Courses

The IRC-SAE is involved in the creation of 2 Graduate Track « Changing environnements » - CAP Graduate School masters degrees:
•   Master's degree in science and technology for agriculture, food and the environment GLObal QUALity in European Livestock Production (GLOQUAL) pathway
•   Master's degree in plant biology : Plant Science Facing New Challenges
 

International networks

•  The COPIL has launched a call for proposal for theses  co-tutored with an international team.
•  3 international associate laboratories (IAL) with China: 

• Université Yunnan : PLANTOMIX – Diversity and mixing of plants for crop protection
• CAAS : Wheat genomics and breeding
• Université Wuhan : Environmental Processes and Remediation Laboratory (LPRE, awarded the International Research Project by the CNRS)

•  2 International Research Networks (IR) with Canada, Spain and Latin America : 

• Canada : GALACTINNOV - Milk production and quality,
• Spain
• Latin America : LCR-RN – Measuring GES emissions

Strengthening partnerships

•  Public : chambre d'agriculture
•  Private : Limagrain 
•  Institutional : FRE (Environmental research federation), SVSAE (Life Sciences, Health, Agronomy, Environment), LLSHS (Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences), SF (Basic Sciences).
•  2 Living Labs : LIT GCA (Auvergne Field Crops Innovation Laboratory) , LIT EHM (Massif Grass-Fed Livestock Innovation Laboratory)
•  Association: Allier sauvage (More information about the project: HERE) 
•  International