Day: July 10, 2018

Plant improvement

July 10, 2018

Varietal creation is born of men’s need to provide regular, abundant and diversified food. The adventure began about 10,000 years ago, and the evolution of techniques and knowledge has made it possible, in the twentieth century, to make exceptional qualitative and quantitative progress. How are new varieties created? A little history… After being hunter-gatherers, men become […]

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How will maize adapt to climate change?

July 10, 2018

Climate change is a reality. Agronomists are already working on the most suitable field crop varieties to maintain good yields. And that, even when the water is missing, the temperature increases and the climatic hazards multiply! Corn will gradually move Maize yields in the south-west have stagnated in recent years. Because if corn needs warm temperatures, it also […]

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Corn, the “organic” plant of our countryside

July 10, 2018

Every summer, the French countryside is covered, as far as the eye can see, with fields of corncobs. No less than 3 million hectares are cultivated in France, year after year, with this grass. It is also the first cereal production in the world! Used exclusively for food and feed for a long time, new outlets are emerging […]

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No, meadows do not grow by themselves…

July 10, 2018

The meadows where the cows graze peacefully seem very “natural” to us. However, the farmer-breeder had to choose and sow seeds to ensure a quality pasture. At the 9th Gnis Biodiversity Day, May 12, 2016, Julien Greffier, Forage Product Manager at LG Seeds, was our guide. He explained to us how the farmer must make wise choices to […]

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What is this blue flower that dresses the Normandy coast?

July 10, 2018

This blue-mauve lining the fields of northern France in June and delighted the hearts of hikers comes from flax. This plant is characterized by flowers as delicate as ephemeral . The linen flower opens in the morning, and the petals fall with the afternoon sun! But its hard fiber, which is why it is prized around the world by industries […]

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Wild plants to reclaim landscapes

July 10, 2018

Poppies and blueberries reappear in the countryside and in cities. On the motorway edges as well as around industrial sites, they avoid soil erosion and therefore the risk of scree on the road. In addition, they require little maintenance. These wild plants constitute a new market, which seduces more and more … The Phytosem team testifies. Wild plants, […]

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Fodder beet, cousin of the red beet of the kitchen garden

July 10, 2018

Its broad and full leaves, erected as a bouquet and slightly shiny under the sun make it very distinct for the inhabitants of Brittany and Haute-Normandie … It is about the fodder beet, this plant whose sweet taste is the delight farm animals. What are its characteristics and what does it have in common with the […]

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Upstream of maize cultivation, seed production

July 10, 2018

With the arrival of April, the start of corn planting was given everywhere in France. From July, the fields of landscapes of the Hexagon will be colored green, as the foliage system of the plant occupies the space. The seeds sown by the farmers in their fields were produced the previous year by specialized companies, seed companies, […]

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The long way of plants

July 10, 2018

The plants we consume today are very far from their wild ancestors. They have all been gradually shaped by man since the Neolithic, in all regions of the world. Do you know what they looked like before?  Patagonia was found in early 2017 in the fossilized fruits of the family Solanaceae, family of tomato, potato and peppers, […]

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The secrets of plant resilience

July 10, 2018

Plants are susceptible to attack by bacteria, viruses, fungi and insects. These pests limit their growth or flowering, damage seeds, fruits and vegetables. But despite their immobility and lack of a “real” immune system, plant disease remains the exception. Because plants have developed effective and original defense systems, which we are beginning to understand in all their finesse […]

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Hemp, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) with vegetable oils

July 10, 2018

In current discourse, hemp (from Latin Cannabis) is most often equated with the molecule of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). However, the plant has evolved considerably over the decades … There are certainly still, around the world, plots of hemp grown for its hallucinogenic substances. But let’s not forget that hemp is a plant native to Central Asia, cultivated for more […]

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