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Présentation du projet ANR LabCom MATCH

(Méthodes Alternatives aux Traitements Chimiques sur Hortensia)

The ornamental horticultural sector suffers from a lack of research on alternative methods to chemical treatments and risks finding itself in a dead end when faced with the withdrawal of numerous molecules from the market (ECOPHYTO plan). However, hydrangea production has requirements that require the use of dwarfing agents, fungicides and bluing agents.
 The company Hortensias France Production (HFP) is the leading French producer of hydrangeas and the third largest in Europe. The SME produces green plants for growers. Since 2007, HFP has been committed to a reduction in inputs (MPS label) and wishes to acquire new knowledge concerning the biology of hydrangea (physiological responses to the environment, defence mechanisms, genetic control) in order to i) develop alternative and sustainable treatments and technical itineraries limiting the appearance of Botrytis (a fungus responsible for considerable losses), to dwarf the plants and to ensure the blueness of the flowers, and ii) to develop tools characterising the requirements of each variety for precision horticulture.

There are avenues of innovation obtained in other horticultural species that need to be developed in hydrangea. By combining the expertise of the Institute for Research in Horticulture and Seeds (IRHS UMR 1345, in particular the STREMHO, FungiSem, GDO and ImorPhen teams) with the know-how of the HFP company, the MATCH LabCom will look for Alternative Methods to Chemical Treatments on Hydrangea.
 The multidisciplinary approaches of integrative biology will allow to work on 3 R&D axes:

•     Axis 1: Development of alternative methods to fungicides: research into a biocontrol product against Botrytis, study of the effect of mechanical stimulation and UV light on the plant's defences, development of early detection of the disease using imagery and artificial intelligence, research into markers characterising the level of resistance of varieties;
•     Axis 2: Development of alternative methods to dwarfing: study of the effect of mechanical stimulation and visible light on compactness, continuous monitoring of hydrangea development in response to treatments using imagery and identification of markers characterising compactness;
•     Axis 3: Adjustment of fertiliser and alumina sulphate (bluing agent) inputs: study of fertiliser requirements and development of a foliar nutritional state indicator for precision fertirrigation, study of aluminium requirements and its mobilisation in the plant, identification of bluing markers and monitoring by imaging of plant response to fertilisation and bluing.

 The LabCom MATCH will generate remarkable knowledge on plant-environment-pathogen interactions. The project will allow the IRHS Unit to transfer its knowledge and methods to a new ornamental plant, and thus to broaden its competences. The new knowledge and methods produced will be promoted through international scientific publications.
For the company, the results of the LabCom will enable it to achieve a high level of sustainability. The reduction of input costs and losses due to Botrytis will also generate a net increase in the company's turnover.
 The LabCom will produce several innovations: in the short term (3-5 years: sustainable technical itineraries adapted to varieties; IT service for real-time monitoring of crops by high-throughput phenotyping; Decision Support Tools based on molecular, genetic and metabolic markers; aluminium encapsulation product) and in the longer term (6-10 years: biocontrol product against Botrytis). These innovations will be developed by the two partners either through the transfer of know-how, services or patents to other hydrangea production companies but also to other horticultural sectors.