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[hal-05627550] Intercropping chickpea with a competitive service plant and mowing the inter-rows controls weeds and ascochyta blight while mitigating interspecific competition
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a promising crop for adapting to climate change and reducing the reliance of cropping systems on synthetic N fertilizers. However, its yield is highly variable, mainly due to weed competition and ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei). Hence, this study investigated the effects of intercropping chickpea with a mowed service plant to control both weeds and ascochyta blight, while mitigating competition to minimise yield reductions. In a two-year field experiment in Western France, chickpea was grown as sole crop and intercropped with four single service plants (Egyptian clover, faba bean, oat, and Sudan grass) in alternate rows. These species were chosen for their contrasted traits, allowing to create different levels of interspecific competition. Chickpea’s inter-rows were either mowed at the beginning of flowering or left without mechanical regulation. Introducing oat decreased weed biomass in both years. Under high weed and disease pressures, adding unmowed oat reduced both weed biomass and ascochyta blight severity by 66% and 56% compared to the unmowed sole chickpea, respectively. No differences were found between the sole chickpea and the other intercrops. Unlike the other species, oat had a high biomass production early in the crop cycle, which partly explains its weed-suppression effect. However, adding oat reduced chickpea grain yield in 2023 by 72%, although mowing limited this reduction to 48%. This study highlights that intercropping chickpea with a mowed competitive service plant that generates an aerated canopy, like oat, can help to control both weeds and ascochyta blight, while mitigating interspecific competition.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Margaux Guy) 20 May 2026
https://hal.science/hal-05627550v1
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[hal-05665710] Genome-wide association studies identify distinct faba bean loci contributing to resistance to Acyrthosiphon pisum and Aphis fabae
Faba bean (Vicia faba L) is a legume crop crucial for the transition towards a more sustainable agriculture through lower nitrogen input and more diversified crop rotations. However, its cultivation remains limited by yield instability and insect pests, of which, aphids are among the most damaging. They provoke direct damage through feeding and indirect damage through transmission of plant viruses. As Acyrthosiphon pisum and Aphis fabae are frequently encountered on faba bean across Europe, this study aimed to identify sources of resistance to A. pisum and A. fabae and investigate their genetic determinism, as well as comparing the common and distinct genomic regions involved resistance mechanisms against the two aphid species. A panel of 218 faba bean genotypes was screened using aphid fecundity as a proxy for resistance. Partial resistance was observed against both aphid species; however, no correlation was found between resistance levels to the two aphids, suggesting distinct genetic determinisms. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using faba bean exome-capture sequencing data identified four quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to A. pisum and four distinct QTL associated with resistance to A. fabae. For several loci, linkage disequilibrium blocks significantly associated with resistance were defined. Finally, candidate genes underlying each QTL were identified. This study lays the foundation for the functional characterization of genes involved in faba bean defense against aphid species and represents a step toward the development of aphid-resistant cultivars.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Paul Fremaux) 22 Jun 2026
https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05665710v1
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[hal-05652738] Spatio-temporal field, landscape and meteorological datasets describing bruchid beetle populations, grain damage and parasitism in faba bean and lentil fields in France
This dataset provides a multi-scale and multi-year characterization of population, grain damage and larval parasitism of bruchid beetle populations (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) populations, i.e. Bruchus rufimanus Boheman, 1833 and Bruchus signaticornis Gyllenhal, 1833. This dataset covers 45 faba bean (Vicia faba Linnaeus, 1753) and 60 lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus, 1787) fields across four major production regions in France. Data were collected over three consecutive growing seasons (2019-2020 to 2021-2022) across three phenological crop stages (vegetative, flowering, and young pods) and at five distances from field edge to capture spatio-temporal dynamics. Datasets include bruchid counts, grain damage as well as parasitism rates by micro-hymenoptera (mainly Triaspis cf.<p>thoracica Curtis, 1860). Field observations are integrated with environmental variables, including GISbased landscape metrics (land use, semi-natural habitats, and hedgerow length) calculated at 500, 1000, and 2000 m buffer radii from field observation plots. Additionally, daily meteorological data from the SAFRAN platform (https://agroclim.inrae.fr/siclima/) at a resolution of 8-km grid and then aggregated per crop stage, covering temperature thresholds, precipitation, and wind speed.Agricultural management information, such as crop sowing dates, varieties, tillage and pest management, is also provided for each of the 105 fields. This integrated dataset allows for crossdisciplinary reuse in agronomy, ecology, and entomology to explore pest-enemy interactions, edge effects, and the influence of landscape and climate on crop-pest dynamics.</p>
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Cayetano Herrera) 12 Jun 2026
https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05652738v2
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[hal-05606391] Quantifying Species‐ and Community‐Level Predation by Carabids on Pests and Beneficials in Wheat and Beet Fields
In this study, we apply a hierarchical Bayesian model to quantify predation by carabid beetles at species and community levels across three cropping contexts: fodder beet, sugar beet, and winter wheat. Prey includes pests (aphids and slugs) and beneficial organisms (earthworms, springtails, and spiders). Model predictions indicate higher overall predation pressure in wheat than in beet. However, the median diet composition contains a larger share of pests in beet fields, whereas consumption of earthworms and spiders is greater in wheat. The strongest diet shifts among cropping contexts occur in smaller carabids (genera Bembidion Latreille, 1802 [Carabidae: Bembidiini] and Trechus Clairville, 1806 [Carabidae: Trechini]), whereas larger species (Pterostichus melanarius [Illiger, 1798] [Carabidae: Pterostichini], Pseudoophonus rufipes [De Geer, 1774] [Carabidae: Harpalini], and Poecilus cupreus [Linnaeus, 1758] [Carabidae: Pterostichini]) show more stable diets. Although community structure (species and relative abundances) differs markedly between wheat and beet, it does not appear to be the main driver of the community-level predation indicator. Overall, our results support a higher potential for aphid biocontrol by carabid communities in sugar beet, with a lower collateral impact on earthworms and spiders.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Marion Rosec) 29 Apr 2026
https://institut-agro-rennes-angers.hal.science/hal-05606391v1
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[hal-05585141] Vers une réduction d’usage d’herbicides pour la gestion de la flore adventice
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ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Nicolas Munier-Jolain) 08 Apr 2026
https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05585141v1
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[hal-05598288] Comparing Methods for Measuring Predation: Toward a Quantitative–Informative Indicator of Natural Pest Control
The transition to insecticide-free pest management requires field-based measurements of natural regulation capturing trophic networks driving pest suppression. Conventional proxies (pest abundance, predator abundance, and richness) fail to quantify actual predation or species contributions. A quantitative-informative indicator must couple trophic interactions, spanning specialist to generalist predators, with specific predation rates (daily prey consumed per predator). We evaluated major predation quantification methods in relation to their potential to inform such an indicator. These included four direct approaches (predator observation, sentinel prey, exclusion devices, predation signs), two indirect approaches (prey remains and molecular traces in predator guts), and three inferential approaches (trait-based analyses, population dynamics modelling, and inference from molecular prey detection). Seven criteria guided the comparison: type of predation measurement, taxonomic resolution for prey and predators, capacity to reveal trophic links, applicability across predator diversity, generality of results, and practical feasibility. We also compared the few approaches for converting molecular detection data into quantitative estimates of predation. Our synthesis highlights inference from molecular prey detection as the most promising and versatile method, as it simultaneously reveals trophic interactions and yields data that can be translated into predation rates. In contrast, common methods such as exclusion devices provide broad estimates of pest suppression but obscure trophic complexity, limiting ecological insight and constraining targeted management in favor of the most effective predator species. Integrating molecular detection with modeling inference emerges as a robust way to estimate predation rates on multiple pests across entire predator communities. This combination offers a powerful framework for developing a biological control indicator, though practical implementation will require improved molecular assays and more effective sampling strategies in the field.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Yann Tricault) 21 Apr 2026
https://hal.science/hal-05598288v1
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[hal-05470145] Les lég-lumineuses - Des graines riches en protéines qui font pousser l'avenir (présentation des projets SPECIFICS et LETSPROSEED)
Présentation des projets de recherche (ANR) SPECIFICS et LETSPROSEED qui unissent leurs forces pour développer la production et la consommation des légumineuses à graines comme le pois, la féverole et le soja., afin de devenir des piliers d’une agriculture et d’une alimentation durables. SPECIFICS vise à concevoir des systèmes de culture sans pesticide, en mobilisant la diversité biologique, de nouvelles sources de résistance et des leviers agroécologiques pour renforcer la résilience des cultures et leur valorisation économique. LETSPROSEED tend à améliorer le rendement, la qualité et la transformation des graines de légumineuses pour développer des ingrédients et aliments riches en protéines végétales. Du sol à l’assiette, les légumineuses sèment l’avenir !
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Sandie Barbot) 21 Jan 2026
https://hal.science/hal-05470145v1
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[hal-05681565] Quantitative resistance to aphanomyces root rot in legumes
Aphanomyces root rot, caused by the soilborne oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches Drechs., is an important threat to legume crop production. In susceptible grain legumes, such as pea (Pisum sativum) and lentil (Lens culinaris), the disease can cause total yield loss under favorable infection conditions. No effective and durable method of disease control is currently available. Therefore, farmers are advised to prevent the spread of the pathogen through crop rotations with non-host or resistant crops, and by monitoring soil inoculum levels using detection tests. Genetic resistance is an essential method to manage crop diseases. Indeed, significant progress has been achieved over the past three decades in identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to A. euteiches mainly in pea, but also in lentil, faba bean (Vicia faba), and the model species Medicago truncatula. These advances in genetics research have led to the recent registration in France of the first partially resistant pea varieties. This feature article provides a review of the research knowledge on A. euteiches x legumes pathosystem, as well as plant sources of resistance, genetic determinants, and molecular mechanisms of quantitative resistance to A. euteiches currently being deciphered in pulse grains and the model legume studied. It also highlights future research directions for the development of effective and durable resistance in legume varieties.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Théo Leprévost) 06 Jul 2026
https://hal.science/hal-05681565v1
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[hal-05421240] Comparative genomic analysis of QTL for resistance to Aphanomyces euteiches between pea, lentil, faba bean, and the model species Medicago truncatula
Key message: QTL mapping and GWAS detected resistance QTL to Aphanomyces euteiches in faba bean, lentil, and Medicago truncatula. Weak genomic conservation between resistance QTL was identified between these legumes and pea. Abstract: QTL mapping and GWAS detected resistance QTL to Aphanomyces euteiches in faba bean, lentil, and Medicago truncatula. Weak genomic conservation between resistance QTL was identified between these legumes and pea. Aphanomyces root rot, caused by Aphanomyces euteiches, is a damaging disease affecting various legume species. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for partial resistance have been mainly identified in pea, and to a lesser extent in lentil and Medicago truncatula. This study aimed to identify novel resistance loci from available lentil and faba bean populations, and examine genomic conservation of resistance QTL across legume host species. QTL mapping in the Pop2 faba bean recombinant inbred line (RIL) population and genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the AGILE lentil diversity panel were performed for resistance to A. euteiches under controlled conditions, using genotyping data previously reported. A previous QTL mapping in the LR3 M. truncatula RIL population was updated using 1,536 new SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms). Synteny between resistance QTL to A. euteiches was analyzed based on gene orthology in QTL regions projected onto genomes, using the OrthoLegKB graph database. Four loci, including a major-effect QTL on chromosome 3, Ae-Vf3.1, were associated with resistance in faba bean. In lentil, six minor-effect GWAS-SNPs and two favorable haplotypes at Ae-Lc1.1 and Ae-Lc2.1 loci were identified. Updated analyses in M. truncatula narrowed to 8 Kb the interval of the major-effect locus AER1 and revealed three candidate genes. No synteny between major-effect QTL, detected in this study or previously reported in the literature, was identified across grain legume genomes. These results pave the way for translational genomics approaches facilitating resistance gene discovery and for resistance QTL deployment strategies in legume rotations to preserve their durability.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Théo Leprévost) 17 Dec 2025
https://hal.science/hal-05421240v1
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[hal-05526495] Colonization and spatiotemporal distribution of bruchid pests in lentil and faba bean fields
BACKGROUND: Lentils (Lens culinaris Medikus, 1787) and faba beans (Vicia faba Linnaeus, 1753) are important crops in France facing threats from Bruchus spp. We analyzed 59 lentil and 45 faba bean fields across four French regions over three growing seasons (2019-2020 to 2021-2022). We investigated the diversity, colonization patterns and spatiotemporal distribution of bruchids at different crop phenological stages and distances from field edges. RESULTS: Bruchus rufimanus Boheman, 1833 and Bruchus signaticornis Gyllenhal, 1833 were the only species emerging from faba beans (97.8%) and lentils (99.5%), respectively. B. rufimanus colonization was concentrated during pod development, maintaining a balanced male-female ratio throughout. B. signaticornis exhibited a colonization period of ≈1 month, with a gradual increase in female proportion over time. The spatial distribution of bruchids and damage were relatively uniform within fields, indicating strong dispersal capabilities. A significant positive correlation, with a high degree of dispersion, was identified between female abundance and bruchid-damaged grains. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that B. rufimanus and B. signaticornis were the only species damaging faba beans and lentils in France, respectively. The homogeneous spatial distribution suggests a strong dispersal ability of bruchids. The high degree of dispersion in the relationship between female abundance and bruchid-damaged grains highlights the importance of regulatory factors influencing larval and egg survival. These results, together with the presence of B. signaticornis in faba beans, emphasize the need for species-specific, phenology-based and spatially informed integrated pest management strategies, to mitigate the impact of bruchids and reduce reliance on chemical in their control.
ano.nymous@ccsd.cnrs.fr.invalid (Anastasia Chery-Lagrange) 25 Feb 2026
https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05526495v1
