For long-lasting agriculture

The work performed on the themes of plant science and agronomy by companies and the research laboratories of the University of Poitiers, the CNRS, and the Inra revolves around three large-scale theme-based axes:

· Developing economical and ecologically acceptable methods for sustainable plant and crop production. Conducted by Géniflore, Jouffray-Drillaud, the nutrient transport laboratory (University of Poitiers-CNRS), the Inra of Lusignan, and the Fnams, the work helps, for example, to develop tools meant to optimize the management of water and nitrogen supply, to limit the use of phytosanitary products, and to enhance the profitability of long-lasting development methods.

· Developing procedures for the industrial transformation of renewable agricultural resources. Conducted by Valagro and the organic chemistry catalysis laboratory (University of Poitiers-CNRS), the work has essentially to do with the industrial transformation of vegetable oils and the production of new material using plant fibers.

· Botany and the study of ecosystems in natural settings. Conducted by the Regional Observatory of Plant Heritage (University of Poitiers), this work involves the study of natural settings and of the impacts on environment of manmade set-ups. The aims are to preserve and to diffuse ethnic and scientific knowledge of the plant, to study and to conserve regional essences, and to produce the plants needed by academics for their research activity.