Models and Methods for Plant Protection (M2P2)

A : ecophysiology of plant-microbiome interactions. B :population dynamics. C : compartmental model of plant-nematode interactions. D : trichogramma trajectometry in a 4-choice olfactometer. E : copulating mediterranean fruit flies. F : European corn borer. G : predatory mite on artificial habitat (textile fiber). H : Sterile insect technique model. I : movement of trichogramma in the double spiral apparatus. J : trichogramma.

Scientific objectives and context

Plant protection must shift to more environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. This shift requires the gradual abandoning of phytopharmaceutical chemicals, the design of more resilient agroecosystems taking advantage of natural feedbacks, and the development of ecological pest management programs. Achieving this ambition requires a better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes at work within agroecosystems, encompassing the biotic-abiotic interface.

In this context, the team develops theoretical models and experiments, from individuals to populations, to unravel agroecosystems functioning and improve existing or infer new plant protection methods. Key research questions include: the ecophysiology of plant-microbiome interactions, the behavior and population dynamics of arthropod pest-natural enemy systems, the epidemiology of plant pathogens, and the management of plant resistance, as well as the optimization of biocontrol strategies.

M2P2 has close collaborations with other ISA teams on shared research topics such as biological control and population introductions with BPI and RDLB, nematode population dynamics with IPN. M2P2 is also tightly linked to Inria (centre at Université Côte d'Azur) through the joint team MaCBES for the modelling aspect of its research.

Research topics

Behavior, movement and dispersal of biocontrol organisms 

• individual and collective dispersal - modelling, experiments.
• response to environmental signals - experiments.

Interaction dynamics in agroecosystems

• ecophysiology of plant-pathogen and plant-microbiota interactions - modelling.
• modelling plant-enemy interactions at the population scale - modelling.
• optimization of biocontrol methods - modelling, experiments.

Adaptation of plant pests to their hosts and enemies

• sustainable management of plant resistance - modelling.
• insect pest adaptation to plants and biological control agents - experiments.

Methodology

Mathematics and computer sciences

• Dynamical systems (ordinary differential equations, recurrent equations, hybrid systems, stochastic models, etc.).
• Computer simulations (large scale dynamical systems, individual based models, etc.).
• Control and optimization theory (optimal control theory, calculus of variations, etc.).
• Statistics (hypothesis testing, statistical modelling, sensitivity analysis, etc.).
• Computer vision, digital image treatment, machine learning.

Experiments

• Lab scale studies of insect behavior.
• Lab scale experimental evolution of insects.
• Population dynamics of arthropods in microcosms, meso-cosms, and at the agroecosystem scale.

Biological models

• Plant pests and diseases: plant-pathogenic nematodes, fruit flies, corn borers, phytophagous mites, above- and below-ground plant diseases.
• Natural enemies: trichogramma sp., predatory mites.

Scientific output

Please visit the HAL page for M2P2.