INRA PACA: Creation of the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute, ISA

This research institute aims to answer questions related to plant health

Created on 1st January in Sophia Antipolis, the "Sophia Agrobiotech Institute" joint research unit (INRA 1355- UNS – CNRS 7524), improves on the already strong links between the National Institute for Agronomic Research - the PACA Research Centre Nice Sophia Antipolis University and the National Centre for Scientific Research - Cote d'Azur Delegation.

With almost 300 employees, including over 110 scientists (researchers, research professors, engineers and post-graduates), the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute (ISA) aims to tackle some of the issues in agronomic research in the field of ecological management of crop systems.

The intended issue is to maintain the competitiveness of agricultural industries while reducing conventional chemical control. With this in mind, the institute focuses its research on identifying new organic targets for more specific pesticides or biopesticides, new, natural plant defence mechanisms against parasites and new organic control agents. The ultimate objective is to incorporate these methods in agronomic integrated protection strategies, particularly in crops under glass, which are kinder to the environment and public health.

The research at the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute falls within the scope of the national and European objectives to reduce the use and impact of pesticides and promote and implement alternative production methods. Nationally, with the Ecophyto 2018 plan, part of the Grenelle on the Environment which aims to reduce the use of pesticides by 50% by 2018 and in Europe by implementing "Integrated Protection Management", which will make integrated protection the standard for all agricultural production in 2014.

By incorporating different scientific disciplines and studying various organisms (plants, insects, micro-organisms) on a single site, the Sophia Agrobiotech Institute represents a set-up which is unique in France and rare in Europe in the field of plant health.

The Sophia Agrobiotech Institute is run by Pierre Abad, Research Director at INRA.  He is assisted by two assistant directors, Marylène Poirié, a professor from Nice Sophia Antipolis University and Christine Poncet, an engineer at INRA.

En savoir plus : www.paca.inra.fr/