MoBiDiv

Objectives

MoBiDiv aims to produce and disseminate knowledge to boost breeding for within-field cultivated biodiversity as a major driver towards a pesticide-free agriculture. MoBiDiv is an interdisciplinary and multi-actor project. Cutting-edge research in genetics, agronomy, pathology, weed science, ecology, microbiology and economics will be combined to participatory approaches, in order to breed, co-design and evaluate crop and variety mixtures with stakeholders. Studying wheat, pea and fodder species, MoBiDiv will explore the changes of the socio-economic system needed to support the promotion of diversifying agro-ecosystems.

This project is organised in 6 worpackages, WP3 beeing led by N. Moutier.

WP3 will address two major questions: (i) how does the intra-plot diversification level affects the installation and evolution of diseases, pests and weeds, and (ii) how does the improved control of biotic stresses allow the preservation of yield, quality and ecosystem services. They will be investigated along a gradient of increasing diversification using six experimental trials of intra-/inter-specific mixtures. Specific attention will be paid to non-additive interactions and plasticity to predict the properties of a mixed canopy.

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