GARDENS

Faced with global changes, the rapid adaptation of agricultural systems is essential to guarantee food security and successfully achieve the agroecological transition. Agriculture must therefore evolve towards more resilient models, based on production diversification and the integration of ecological principles. Orchard-vegetable systems, operating within a framework of local, low-input production, represent a major lever: they promote biodiversity, optimize the use of space, water, and soil, mitigate climate stresses, and contribute to the economic stability of farms. 

New genomic techniques, particularly genome editing, offer targeted approaches to strengthening resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses. The GARDENS project is based on a two-phase approach: it first aims to analyze the functioning of orchard-vegetable systems and identify their agronomic, ecological, and socio-economic determinants. It then aims to develop a proof of concept based on the participatory co-design of innovative systems integrating biotechnological tools. T

he objective is to evaluate their added value—alone or in conjunction with other levers for varietal and agronomic improvement—in order to strengthen the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of the systems in their local contexts.

GAFL contributes to WP3 – Exploration of existing diversity and translational biology for specific traits, and to WP4 – Creation of diversity through tomato genome editing.

 https://www.pepr-selection-vegetale.fr/les-projets-de-recherche/les-projets-cibles/gardens