DENDY

In search for resilience biomarkers in plants : using dendrometry for a dynamic monitoring of fruit tree health

The future of fruit tree production in France and beyond will strongly depend on the ability to produce fruits with low input and using improved varieties could greatly facilitate this transition. To breed for more resilient varieties, we need more integrative and dynamic measurements reflecting plant health that can be deployed on a panel of large genetic diversity. Dendrometry allows to record wood growth kinetics thanks to are affordable and easy-to-use sensors placed on trunks. This exploratory project joins the expertise of two INRAE research units (GAFL: Genetics and Breeding of Fruit and Vegetables and PSH: Plants and cropping Systems in Horticulture) to test dendrometers placed on 16 different peach genotypes planted in a zero-pesticide orchard. It will allow (i) to record dendrometric profiles on diseased trees during two consecutive years, (ii) to establish adequate statistical models to extract plant resilience traits from dynamic records (iii) a synthesis of results to orientate future research combining ecophysiological and genetic approaches to understand resilience mechanisms in fruit trees.

Modification date : 21 June 2023 | Publication date : 07 April 2023 | Redactor : SLP