Trichogramma's biodiversity, diversification of their use and new economic models – Bidime

In reaction to the deleterious effects linked to the massive use of chemical control, France has embarked on a resolute approach of reducition of the phytosanitary products. This approach relies on the activation of various levers, including the research and development of new biocontrol products. Among these, the use of entomophagous insects (parasitoids or predators) via augmentation biological control offers a considerable potential as evidenced by several global successes in greenhouse productions and even in field crops. The diversification of biocontrol products based on entomophagous insects, however, is based on (i) a better consideration of the inter- and intra-specific biodiversities in order to optimize field efficiency, reduce the costs of use and diversify the range of biocontrol products, (ii) the adaptation to regulatory changes that tend to limit access to exotic resources, (iii) the ability to satisfy "niche markets" (ie local, recent and / or unpredictable markets) with respect to which traditional actors are reluctant to invest.

As such, the BIDIM 'project proposes to provide a coordinated set of 5 innovations:
(i) a "process" for the evaluation of various biocontrol agents with respect to variable cultural contexts;
(ii) new biocontrol agents for crops and pests that currently do not have biocontrol solutions
(iii) the development of a Quality Control tool based on genomic information
(iv) the development of a video-phenotyping "package" to accelerate and optimize the laboratory evaluation of candidate strains of biocontrol agents
(v) the evaluation of an alternative business model to facilitate the diversification and deployment of biocontrol products, particularly in the case of "niche markets".

This coordinated effort of Research and Development will be anchored in a specific territory of the Alpes-Maritmes where both ornamental crops with high added values ??and/or strong environmental requirements and vegetable crops coexist. The targeted biological control agents studied will be species from the genus Trichogramma, i.e. micro-hymenoptera and oophagous parasitoid able to parasitize a large variety of noxious Lepidoptera. Indeed, despite some global successes on various crops, this taxa is still an under-exploited reservoir of biological control solutions. As such, the BIDIM’ project will benefit from recent projects including the academic project ANR 2014-2019 "TRIPTIC" which focused precisely on this "biological and agronomic » model.

To carry out this work, the BIDIM’ project will mobilize a continuum involving (i) academic research actors (INRA researchers specialized in genomics and phenotyping), (ii) Research and Development actors (INRA engineers and technicians and BIOLINE, a specialized private enterprise) and (iii) Agronomic actors at national (ASTREDHOR) or local (Chambre d’Agriculture). In a complementary way, researchers in Humanities and Social Sciences will also be mobilized in order to guide the reflection towards an alternative and sustainable business model based on the acquired scientific and technical results, market studies and the investigation on actors' games.