Weeds & Agroecosystems (ADVENSYS)*

Context

The Weeds & Agroecosystem (ADVENSYS) department brings together about 40 permanent staff and non-permanent staff (fixed-term contracts, post-docs, PhD students) from three research and teaching organisations (INRAE, Insitut Agro, University of Burgundy) in a multidisciplinary research cluster within the Agroecology research unit. Our expertise covers the ecology and management of plants (weeds and crops) and invertebrates (beneficials and pests), plant genomics and ecophysiology, biogeochemical cycles, modeling (interaction networks, systems), environmental change, socio-environmental conflicts, agroecology and innovative cropping systems.

ADVENSYS is organized into two teams to manage the work: the BiodiverSE team and the Systems team, whose work intersects to achieve the purpose of this department.

Our Purpose

The main purpose of ADVENSYS is to generate knowledge that can help the transition to sustainable agricultural management, with particular emphasis on reducing synthetic chemical inputs and maintaining agricultural production through agroecological practices. To achieve this, we study biodiversity (weeds, insects), agroecosystem processes and agroecological management options that enable sustainable weed management, limit agroecosystem dis-services (bioaggressors, and other socio-environmental costs) and maximize ecosystem services (e.g. biological regulation, pollination, climate resilience, resource use efficiency). 

Our research has the overall aim of analysing how biodiversity and agroecosystem processes can be used to design agroecological management options that limit dis-services and maximize ecosystem services. It is focussed on two principal themes:

1. Understanding the biodiversity and interactions of flora and invertebrates at different biological and management scales.

2. Understanding, co-developing and facilitating the transition to sustainable, multi-performing agricultural systems.

Our Approach

ADVENSYS achieves this mission through the deployment of mono-, inter- and trans-disciplinary research projects and innovation actions that respond to societal demands. We achieve our objectives by collaborating with academic and non-academic partners on a regional, national and international scale. This approach will enable ADVENSYS to meet the various environmental and societal challenges centered on the agricultural management of weeds and the associated services and disservices. It will take into account multiple challenges and their interactions (e.g. climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, emerging pests, etc.), ecosystem functions (e.g. biogeochemical cycles) and social, economic and political factors (international and national policy, societal conflicts and competing priorities).