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Partners : INRAE, Hiphen, CEP Innovation, CTIFL, Fruit experimental stations SUDEXPE, SEFRA, CENTREX

Reducing pesticide use on fruit crops is a major challenge well understood by all stakeholders, but the means and knowledge are lacking to achieve this objective. Identifying and selecting resilient fruit tree ideotypes would not only provide a concrete perspective to meet this challenge, but also develop agro-ecological levers favorable to the health of producers, rural populations and consumers, and to the preservation of biodiversity.

The RésiDiv project aims to acquire key knowledge on the resilience of fruit trees in low phytosanitary protection conditions and to create a toolbox mobilizing the digital lever to identify the different components of resilience and help varietal creation. It also aims to identify individuals with important components of resilience which are an essential resource for building varieties adapted to more sustainable technical itineraries. To do this, protocols for visual and digital characterization of traits of susceptibility to pests, phenology, vigor and production will be developed and then deployed and will be used more widely for the evaluation of varieties. The development of multivariate data analysis methodologies and the contribution of new integrative variables reflecting the health of the tree thanks to the use of imagery will make it possible to identify resilience variables, to evaluate their heredity and to propose early selection tools using genetic markers (marker-assisted selection and genomic selection).

Thus, through the exploitation of a multisite experimental system of collections of peach and apricot genetic resources, innovative protocols for characterization and for genetic prediction of resilience will be developed, tested and disseminated.