USC Legumes, Crop Ecophysiology, Agroecology (LEVA)

Objective

RESEARCH TOPICS TEAM AND ORGANISATION FACILITIES KEY WORDS

Mission and objectives

LEVA’s scientists have expertise in agronomy, crop ecophysiology, soil biology and statistics. Their research aims to mobilise biotic interactions for the design and management of intercrops including one or several legume species, in order to conceive low input cropping systems better adapted to climate change.

In the context of the agro-ecological transition and climate change, LEVA aims to contribute to the production, communication and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and to support advisors and farmers.

LEVA’s research focuses on annual crops, and takes place at different levels:

Interactions between intercropped plant species within the plant(s)-soil system, related to the management of nitrogen and light resources
Conducting intercrops designed to enhance the ecological functions of legumes in ecosystem services, in line with farmers’ objectives (yield, crop quality, nitrogen management and soil fertility, weed control, etc.).
Designing innovative spatio-temporal arrangements for building up diversified legume-rich and low-input cropping systems.

Research

Focused on intercropping legumes with another crop for sustainable, low-nitrogen and low-herbicide systems, LEVA’s research takes place within the framework of the agro-ecological transition, climate change, and the growing need for protein-rich crops. By investigating how intercrops with legumes can help managing the trade-offs between services through species and variety choices, but also by combining these factors with spatial arrangements and practices in contrasting abiotic contexts, LEVA’s research, based on a functional approach, takes into account the challenge of achieving the ecosystem services linked to symbiotic fixation in the context of reduction of herbicides, as legumes are sensitive to weeds.

This work aims to guide the design of intercrops including legumes according to local production objectives and contexts, meeting production objectives sought by farmers. LEVA is also developing an indicator of soil biological activity, the LEVAbag. More specifically, it is a method for field diagnosis of the organic matter degradability of agricultural soils. https://www.levabag.com/

The multidisciplinary team has expertise in:

Field and cropping system agronomy, agro-ecology, functional ecology (soil fauna, plant ecology), plant physiology, statistics;

Ecophysiology of legumes, measurement of nitrogen fluxes in the atmosphere-plant-soil continuum (atmospheric nitrogen fixation and rhizodeposition), isotopic methods, root growth monitoring, etc.
Design and management of intercrops including legumes, in relation to different production objectives (yield, crop quality, weed control, soil fertility, etc.), in contrasting abiotic environments.

Innovative cropping systems for protein production, save nitrogen and herbicides, greenhouse gas emission reduction, are more resilient to drought and are adapted to future challenges.

LEVA carries out experiments in climatic chambers, greenhouse and in the field, and adapts models to intercrops. The team also participates with other labs in the development of methods and tools for evaluating innovative cropping systems (multicriteria analyses, life cycle analyses and soil biological activity indicators).

The LEVA research unit has, among other things

a greenhouse and a climate chamber

a van fitted out as a laboratory and with equipment for in situ measurements and sampling in fields with contrasting agronomic conditions, at technical partners’ and farmers’ sites
equipment for collecting soil samples
a near-infrared Fourier transform spectrometer
an oximeter
a nitrogen residue analysis system (continuous flow)
a fibre analyser
mills
incubators

a threshing machine

The LEVA works in partnership with the PLATIN’ isotope analysis (Caen) and facilities of the SFR QUASAV. For field trials, LEVA has built a partnership with the Thorigné d’Anjou experimental farm and the FNAMS.

LEVA is located on two sites: at ESA (55 rue Rabelais, Angers) and on the Campus du Végétal (42 rue Georges Morel, Beaucouzé).

Objective

Consultancy Services

Study programmes

Partners