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All the news
Bee foraging rapeseed flower. © INRA, RENARD Michel

Press release

27 Nov 2019

Neonicotinoids: despite EU moratorium, bees still at risk

ratorium has restricted the application of three neonicotinoids to crops that attract bees because of the harmful effects they are deemed to have on these insects. Yet researchers from the CNRS, INRA, and the Institut de l’Abeille (ITSAP) have just demonstrated that residues of these insecticides—and especially of imidacloprid—can still be detected in rape nectar from 48% of the plots of studied fields, their concentrations varying greatly over the years. An assessment of the risk posed to bees, based on health agency models and parameters, has revealed that for two out of five years, at least 12% of the fields were sufficiently contaminated to kill 50% of the bees and bumblebees foraging on them.

Bee on rapeseed flower. © INRA, CARRE Serge

Press release

09 Oct 2019

Bee pollination boosts the profitability of oilseed rape

Researchers from INRA and CNRS have shown for the first time that bee pollination surpasses the use of pesticides in yield and especially in profitability of oilseed rape. The team of researchers analysed data collected over four years in farmers’ fields in an agricultural plain in Deux-Sèvres (Nouvelle Aquitaine, western France).

Aerial view of fields in Picardy in the area of Péronne in the Somme. © INRA, TISSIER Jean-Pierre

Press release

02 Aug 2019

More complex crop mosaics produce greater biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

Researchers from INRA and CNRS1, in collaboration with German, Spanish, English and Canadian teams, have examined the effect of field size and crop diversity on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Published in PNAS, their work shows that increasing the complexity of the crop mosaic produces a considerable (and largely under-exploited) benefit in conserving and restoring the biodiversity of farm landscapes, while maintaining areas of land under agricultural production.

Envoi de graines pour des tests de germination à différentes températures dans six lieux différents, dans le cadre du projet Casdar Regate en partenariat avec l'ACVF et le Geves.. © INRA, Armelle Pérennès

News

02 Jul 2019

Thesis defense

On Thursday 11 July 2019 at Lusignan, Wagdi Ghaleb will defend his thesis untitled: Analysis of the genetic diversity of the germinative response to temperature of populations of Lolium perenne L., Festuca arundincea Schreb and Dactylis glomerata L.

Group photo of conference participants. © INRA

News

02 Jul 2019

"Food security and climate change: 4 per 1000 initiative, new tangible global challenges for the soil": Conference report

INRA organized an international conference in collaboration with the University of Poitiers, from 18 to 20 June 2019 in Poitiers, France. It provided an exchange forum for scientists, decision makers, funding organizations (agencies), and geopolitical entities to discuss critical issues and realistic opportunities and challenges for the implementation of the 4 per 1000 initiative in France, in Europe and in the world.