Modules
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Breeding for better root systems: a new strategy to improve water and nutrient use efficiency
The Green Revolution has been based on the massive use of inputs and the selection of crops that respond positively to these conditions. However, the economic and environmental cost of inputs and their limited availability has led to change of paradigm. This module will illustrate how our increased understanding of root development and hydromineral nutrition and the development of root phenotyping techniques pave the way for the selection of improved root systems. -
Comparative omics of tropical crops
NGS technologies led to an impressive production of omics data for tropical crops such as rice, sorghum, sugarcane, banana, palms, cocoa, citrus, coffee, cotton. This allows conducting comparative omics studies at an unprecedented scale, and also helps tackling challenging issues such as the sequencing and analysis of complex genomes. -
Plants and Men, a shared history
The module aims to make students aware that studying cultivated plants means taking an interest not only in the biological object but also in the physical and climatic context, as well as the social and cultural environment. -
Breeding fruits and vegetables in the high throughput time
Breeding fruits and vegetables in the high throughput era. Focused on a specific group of species it will offer a global view of the up to date genetic analyses of specific objectives but also an overview of genetic resources, their organization, conservation and use. -
Designing new crops for the future
Worldwide evolutions of Agriculture (environmental and societal changes) raise issues on paradigm shift in plant breeding and plant protection. We propose students (at the M1 level) to imagine cultivated varieties for tomorrow, new plant protection strategies and their implementation within production chains. This teaching module lays foundation of plant sciences applied to agrosystems management and mobilizes MSc skills within an applied multidisciplinary context. -
The 3000 rice genomes, an introduction to genetic diversity
Diversity is the foundation for plant breeding. The diversity of genome sequences is becoming massively accessible and will revolutionize biological research. Among crops, rice is the good choice for tackling the new challenges and opportunities thus opened. -
Analysing and modelling phenotypes for challenging environments
Plant breeding for challenging environments is a crucial challenge in the context of climate changes. Traits and alleles suited to fluctuating environments are complex (trait combination), difficult to define and differ depending on target cropping environments. Phenotyping facilities in field and controlled conditions allow addressing this challenge but still require considerable progress in methods. Combination of genetic and crop/ecophysiological modelling can help unlocking above difficulties and support the conception of suitable genotypes. -
Breeding of tropical and Mediterranean crops: a diversity of contexts and strategies
Modern agriculture is challenged by global/societal issues (match between demographic projections and agriculture performance, human development, climate change, agro-ecology, agrobiodiversity and genetic resources, etc…). In this context, breeding superior cultivars (cultivated varieties) may offer simple and affordable solutions for farmers/producers and end-users to tackle these issues. At the same time the activity of plant breeding have evolved from traditional empirical approaches to more elaborated strategies (using molecular markers and comprehensive genomic records, precise phenotyping and model-based ideotype definition). -
Epigenome and plant improvement
Intra-species diversity, seen as the only variation in the DNA sequence, has long been considered to be the driving force behind the functioning of individuals or populations. However, differences within the species, and thus potentially functional biodiversity, can also be created by epigenetic variation. It is therefore important to quantify epigenetic natural diversity by testing its phenotypic consequences
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Genome editing in agriculture: engaging in policy, legal and institutional issues
Genome editing tools allow direct modification of plant genomes more quickly, cheaply and accurately than ever before. It is a technological revolution with long term implications. The tools are changing the practices of using and exchanging biological material in plant science including the way plant breeding is conducted. The emergence of such a technology raises a series of social, institutional, legal and policy issues. -
PAMPA : Plant anatomical phenotyping
This training module allows students to get better awareness of the importance of anatomical traits for plant improvement and acquire new methodological skills They discover and implement the method developped by the researchers of AGAP unit for high-speed anatomical phenotyping of a plant of agronomic interest. -
Photosynthesis and water-use efficiency in a context of climate change
In a context of climate change, increases in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), temperatures or reduced rainfall affect the plant's fundamental physiological processes and can alter plant growth and agronomic yields. -
Biotic stress resistance and plant breeding
Biotic stresses caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria, insects and other pathogens are a major constraint on agricultural productivity. The use of resistant genotypes is the most economical and environmentally friendly way to control plant diseases. -
Participatory breeding: fully involve farmers in the variety development process
The issue of participatory breeding is becoming increasingly important in agricultural research.
It calls for collaboration between the biological and social sciences to build a new field of research.