France seeks to drive innovation in plant genetics

Some 28 of France’s leading public and private research organisations involved in plant science, plant breeding and connected technologies have come together to form PlantAlliance, a consortium designed to boost the pace of innovation in genetics, genomics and the breeding of new varieties.

Innovation through plant breeding is seen as a key driver in the country’s ambition to develop innovative agroecological cropping systems, making it possible to reduce pesticide use while maintaining good productivity, making wider use of biological control and to enable crops to adapt to climate change.

Plant Alliance will be led by ENDURE partner INRAE for the first four years, with CIRAD and several ACTA technical institutes (those dealing with arable crops, potatoes, wine and beet, for example) also part of the consortium, alongside 13 private companies.

PlantAlliance has three key roles. One of these will be the coordination of research and development programmes on genetics, genomics and plant science, alongside stimulating “interdisciplinary work on plant nutrition and protection, biocontrol, agronomy and cropping systems, and on digital and agricultural technologies”.

The group will fund pre-competitive research projects and support training through research, alongside a lobbying role and acting as a point of contact nationally and at the European scale.

INRAE reports: “The new PlantAlliance consortium is a research and innovation expert community made up of 28 public and private actors (companies, professional bodies and regional hubs) specializing in plant production and transformation.

“Its members have co-constructed a consensual scientific and technical roadmap with a focus on genetics, genomics, plant science and their interfaces with the fields of plant nutrition and protection, biocontrol, agronomy, cropping systems and digital technologies. With an annual budget from member contributions totalling 900 K€, PlantAlliance is set to make a difference over the coming decade.”

For more information:

Visit the PlantAlliance website here (currently only in French)
Read the full story in English on the INRAE website here