Laurent Bedoussac

Les associations d'espèces sont définies comme la culture simultanée d'au moins deux espèces sur la même parcelle pendant une période significative de leur croissance. Ce système permettrait d'améliorer l'utilisation des ressources du milieu (eau, azote, lumière…) et ainsi d'augmenter le rendement et la qualité des grains par rapport aux cultures monospécifiques. L'objectif de notre travail était d'analyser le fonctionnement et d'évaluer la performance des associations blé dur - pois d'hiver et blé dur - féverole d'hiver pour aider à la conception d'itinéraires techniques adaptés à différents objectifs de production. Pour cela nous avons testé, au cours de trois années d'expérimentations, différentes combinaisons de variétés de blé dur, disponibilités en azote, structures de couverts et densités de plantes. Nos résultats ont confirmé l'intérêt de ces systèmes pour améliorer le rendement et la teneur en protéines du blé dur comparativement aux cultures monospécifiques mais également pour la réduction des ravageurs, maladies et de l'enherbement dans certaines conditions. Ces systèmes sont ainsi particulièrement bien adaptés aux situations à faible disponibilité en azote en raison de la complémentarité entre céréale et légumineuse pour l'utilisation de l'azote (minéral du sol et fixation symbiotique) mais aussi pour la captation de l'énergie lumineuse. In fine, ce travail a permis de proposer des prototypes d'itinéraires techniques d'associations adaptés à différents objectifs de production, grâce notamment à l'analyse dynamique des compétitions et complémentarités entre espèces au sein du couvert et en particulier de l'élaboration du rendement du blé dur en association.

BACKGROUND: Lentils ( Lens culinaris Medikus, 1787) and faba beans ( Vicia faba Linnaeus, 1753) are important crops in France facing threats from Bruchus spp . We analyzed 59 lentil and 45 faba bean fields across four French regions over three growing seasons (2019–2020 to 2021–2022). We investigated the diversity, colonization patterns and spatiotemporal distribution of bruchids at different crop phenological stages and distances from field edges. RESULTS: Bruchus rufimanus Boheman, 1833 and Bruchus signaticornis Gyllenhal, 1833 were the only species emerging from faba beans (97.8%) and lentils (99.5%), respectively. B. rufimanus colonization was concentrated during pod development, maintaining a balanced male–female ratio throughout. B. signaticornis exhibited a colonization period of ≈1 month, with a gradual increase in female proportion over time. The spatial distribution of bruchids and damage were relatively uniform within fields, indicating strong dispersal capabilities. A significant positive correlation, with a high degree of dispersion, was identified between female abundance and bruchid‐damaged grains. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that B. rufimanus and B. signaticornis were the only species damaging faba beans and lentils in France, respectively. The homogeneous spatial distribution suggests a strong dispersal ability of bruchids. The high degree of dispersion in the relationship between female abundance and bruchid‐damaged grains highlights the importance of regulatory factors influencing larval and egg survival. These results, together with the presence of B. signaticornis in faba beans, emphasize the need for species‐specific, phenology‐based and spatially informed integrated pest management strategies, to mitigate the impact of bruchids and reduce reliance on chemical in their control. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Species mixtures are a key lever for the agroecological transition, as they allow to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining yields. Farmers face challenges in implementing them, however – especially technical difficulties and constraints related to cultivation and post-harvest sorting machinery. This study explores farmers’ agricultural equipment fleet management logics in the context of species mixture cultivation. Our research methodology draws on the innovation tracking approach. Data were collected through interviews with 13 farmers cultivating species mixtures across France. Using concepts from systems agronomy, we examined: (i) the characteristics and management of mixtures, as farmers consider them when selecting and using equipment, (ii) the technical features of the machinery used – including modifications and farmer-driven innovations – and (iii) farmers’ overall logic for managing their machinery fleets. Three main findings emerged. First, we identified six categories of species mixtures, characterized according to their component species’ spatial arrangement and sowing depth – two aspects that, from farmers’ perspective, are closely linked to machinery management strategies. For instance, in one category, species are sown in the same row and at the same depth, while in another, they are sown in alternating rows at different depths. Second, we found that all farmers used a wide range of equipment to manage and sort the mixtures, with many having modified or improvised tools, especially for sowing. For example, one farmer adapted a seed drill to sow wheat and faba bean at two different depths. Third, our interviews showed three contrasting machinery management logics: (i) cost minimization by reusing existing equipment, (ii) adapting sowing practices to the biological characteristics of species, and (iii) equipment choices shaped by local resources. This study offers a new approach to understanding the role of agricultural machinery in species mixture management and provides insights that can support stakeholders in the development of this agroecological practice.

Compared to sole crops, intercropping—especially of legumes and cereals—has great potential to improve crop yield and resource use efficiency, and can provide many other ecosystem services. However, the beneficial effects of intercrops are often greatly dependent on the end use as well as the specific species and genotypes being co-cultivated. In addition, intercropping imposes added complexity at different levels of the supply chain. While the need for developing crop genotypes for intercropping has long been recognized, most cultivars on the market are optimized for sole cropping and may not necessarily perform well in intercrops. This paper aims to place breeding targets for intercrop-adapted genotypes in a supply chain perspective. Three case studies of legumes and cereals intercropped for human consumption are used to identify desirable intercrop traits for actors across the supply chains, many of which are not targeted by traditional breeding for sole crops, including certain seed attributes, and some of which do not fit traditional breeding schemes, such as breeding for synchronized maturity and species synergies. Incorporating these traits into intercrop breeding could significantly reduce complexity along the supply chain. It is concluded that the widespread adoption and integration of intercrops will only be successful through the inclusion and collaboration of all supply chain actors, the application of breeding approaches that take into account the complexity of intercrop supply chains, and the implementation of diversification strategies in every process from field to fork.

Calls for the application of ecological principles in agriculture have gained momentum. Intercropping systems are designed by growing two, or more, annual crop species in the same field, aiming for a better resource use efficiency. However, assembly rules for their design are lacking. Notably, it is unknown whether species performances are maximized during both the vegetative and reproductive phases given the sensitivity of reproductive allocation rules to resource limitation. Interestingly, ecological theory provides expectations regarding putative invariance of plant reproductive allometry (PRA) under non‐limiting conditions for plant growth. Here we examined whether and how PRA changes in response to plant–plant interactions in intercropping systems, which can inform both ecological theory and the understanding of the functioning of intercropping systems. We analysed a dataset of 28 field cereal–legume intercropping trials from various climatic and management conditions across Western Europe. PRA was quantified in both mixing and single‐species situations. Plant reproductive allometry was positively impacted in specific management conditions, leading to a greater increase in yield for a given increase in plant size. Variations in PRA were more beneficial to legumes grown in unfertilized mixtures, which explains their use as a key component in actual intercropping systems. The response for cereals was similar but less pronounced in magnitude, and was greater under resource‐limiting conditions. Focusing on intercropping conditions, hierarchical competition (indicated by biomass difference between intercropped species) appears as a strong driver of the reproductive output of a given species. Synthesis and applications. Plant reproductive allometry (PRA) behaves in crop species in the same way as it does in wild species. However, contrary to theoretical expectations about an overall invariance of PRA, we highlighted taxon‐specific and context‐dependent effects of plant–plant interactions on PRA. This systematic deviation to PRA expectations could be leveraged to cultivate each species up to its reproductive optimum while accounting for the performance of the other, whether farmer's objective is to favour one species or to reach an equilibrium in seed production. Sowing density and cultivar choice could regulate the biomass of each component, with specific targets derived from allometric relationships, aiming for an optimal reproductive allocation in mixtures.

Le projet agro-écologique (loi n° 2014-1170), mobilisant les acquis de l’éducation au développement durable, engage l’enseignement agricole français sur la voie de transitions écologiques, pédagogiques et éducatives (« enseigner à produire autrement »). Face à ces directives, les enseignants.es se heurtent à diverses difficultés, notamment dans la définition des concepts à mobiliser qui impliquent des savoirs de références pluriels, incertains et parfois controversés. Par une série d’évocations libres et hiérarchisées, cette recherche conduite auprès de 340 enseignants.es vise à rendre compte de leurs représentations du « produire autrement ». En mobilisant la théorie des représentations sociales, les résultats montrent que celles-ci sont initialement étroites et techniques, avec des éléments partagés et d’autres susceptibles de variations. Cependant, elles évoluent et s’enrichissent par des échanges entre pairs, pour donner au final une place forte à l’éducation. Il devient urgent de sensibiliser les enseignants.es à la réflexion sur les fondements de ces changements programmés en intégrant une analyse sociale et épistémologique des savoirs en jeu.

Grain-legume crops are important for ensuring the sustainability of agrofood systems. Among them, pulse production is subject to strong lock-in compared to soya, the leading worldwide crop. To unlock the situation and foster more grain-legume crop diversity, scientific research is essential for providing new knowledge that may lead to new development. Our study aimed to evaluate whether research activity on grain-legumes is also locked in favor of soya. Considering more than 80 names grouped into 19 main grain-legume species, we built a dataset of 107,823 scholarly publications (articles, book, and book chapters) between 1980 and 2018 retrieved from the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) reflecting the research activity on grain-legumes. We delineated 10 scientific themes of interest running the gamut of agrofood research (e.g., genetics, agronomy, and nutrition). We indexed grain-legume species, calculated the percentage of records for each one, and conducted several analyses longitudinally and by country. Globally, we found an unbalanced research output: soya remains the main crop studied, even in the promising field of food sciences advanced by FAO as the “future of pulses”. Our results raise questions about how to align research priorities with societal demand for more crop diversity.