Senior scientist at INRAE, (France), in GAFL unit in Avignon, I lead the Prunus group involving 14 permanent persons.
I have a background of ecophysiologist and modeller, completed by geneticist skills acquired from my PhD, post-doctoral fellowship and working for 14 years in a unit of genetics. My research activities are focused on biotic stresses and fruit quality including conservation disease in Prunus. They are based on genetics, plant biology and modelling. I developed a multi-disciplinary challenging approach involving ecophysiology, genetics, and computer-based modelling to progress towards low-input production orchards. Hence, I became specialist in model-assisted ideotype design. To include targets for reducing the use of pesticides in this approach, I started working 10 years ago on Monilinia resistance of peach.
My team is recognized for its work on pest and disease resistances (powdery mildew, green peach aphid, bacterial canker…) and is now focusing on multi-character integration and develops elite genitors, for peach, apricot and their rootstock. We preserve, screen and study large Prunus genetic resources including wild and relatives and use modern tools and approaches to progress towards developing multi-trait selection for low input production systems (optimization of schemes and methods of selection, genomic selection) and design prototypes to 'protect' the resistances and to respond to multiple stresses.