ECLA

The ECLA project (Efficiency of Light Cascades in Agriculture) aims to make a breakthrough innovation accessible to growers, significantly increasing both the quantitative and qualitative yield of greenhouse crops.

Plastic films integrating CASCADE Lumineuses® technology modify the light spectrum intercepted by the plant (Figure 1).

Led by the company CASCADE, it is conducted within a French consortium comprising two companies and four research units, and is funded under the ADEME call for projects "Eco-efficient Industry and Agriculture".

From an agronomical perspective, the STRAGENE team, in collaboration with two other teams from the IRHS joint research unit (FUNGISEM - pathology, and ImHorPhen - plant phenotyping and trial platform), is studying the effect of this new technology on several plant physiological traits that are critical for the economic and environmental performance of the production system.

In addition, the STRAGENE team applies its expertise to characterize: i) the plant growth environment, ii) growth and development kinetics throughout the crop cycle, iii) key processes likely involved in light-driven regulation, such as photosynthesis, source-sink dynamics, as well as water and mineral status, and iv) the physiological and molecular mechanisms governing some of these processes.

Experiments are conducted under controlled conditions (growth chambers) and outdoors (field conditions) (Figure 2).

Partenaires : Entreprise CASCADE, Entreprise Agripolyane, l’UMR IRHS (co-tutelle AgroCampusOuest – INRA – Université d’Angers), Le LAGEP (CNRS - Université Lyon 1), l’UMR GENIAL (AgroParisTech – INRA).