Agro-ecological transition: why innovation is essential?

Innovation as a lever for agro-ecological transition

Seen at SIVAL 2024, a round-table discussion highlighted the innovations developed by three specialist companies - Farmcube, Abelio and Axioma- to meet the challenges of sustainable agriculture. These players focus on solutions combining ecology and economic efficiency to support the agroecological transition. Agroecology, defined as a systemic approach that applies ecological principles to farm management, aims to meet challenges linked to the environment and climate change. The companies present illustrated how their technologies and innovations support this evolution by optimizing agricultural production systems while reducing their environmental impact.

Farmcube has developed a unique phytotron capable of controlling parameters such as temperature, CO2 and humidity to study plant responses to different stresses. This device can be used to test experimental protocols such as priming. For example, Farmcube has collaborated with the forestry industry to test seedlings subjected to precise water stresses, thereby increasing their survival after replanting. In addition, the company has deployed its expertise on a variety of Sectors crops, from market gardening to vines and plants used in perfumery. The challenge is to create specific protocols for plants resistant to climatic stress, without genetic modification.

Abelio offers decision-support tools (OAD) based on agronomic models and digital technologies, enabling improved management of inputs and resources. Among their services, Abelio helps growers optimize nitrogen fertilization, irrigation, disease and weed management. These solutions significantly reduce the use of phytopharmaceutical products, while minimizing environmental impact. For example, thanks to the use of satellite data and drones, Abelio helps its users to adopt more precise and eco-responsible management, while maintaining economic performance.

Axioma designs and manufactures bio-solutions, in particular biostimulants, designed to strengthen crops in the face of abiotic stresses linked to climatic variations. Manufactured using natural mechanisms, these products aim to support resilient crops. The company, which controls the value chain from research to deployment, relies on collaborations such as with Farmcube to speed up the testing phases. Axioma's solutions are also supported by digital tools, such as those developed by Abelio, to maximize their effectiveness in the field.

Innovation: complementary solutions for sustainable farming practices

The speakers also highlighted the synergies that exist between their structures and other partners, in particular within the association La Ferme Digitale, which today brings together more than 130 companies. Farmcube, for example, makes its technology available for research on perfume plants, in collaboration with other players in the sector. Data from their phytotron can be integrated into Abelio's digital tools to guide growers in their decision-making. Similarly, Axioma's biostimulant tests benefit from Farmcube's infrastructure, reducing the time needed to validate these products before they reach the market.

These collaborations enable us to offer complete, interconnected solutions, integrating technological, scientific and digital innovations. Each player retains its own specialization, while drawing on the skills of others to meet the challenges of agro-ecology. In this way, the companies aim to reduce the impact of agricultural practices while maintaining yield levels in line with demand.

On the other hand, several of the tools developed, such as those used by Abelio, enable the adoption of more complex crop rotations, contributing to the long-term diversification of production. This diversification, combined with reasoned practices, contributes to soil preservation, greater resilience in the face of climatic hazards, and the gradual adoption of agricultural models that enhance existing natural systems.

Perspectives and objectives of agricultural innovation players

The 3 companies are continuing to develop their solutions for a sustainable agro-ecological transition. Farmcube plans to implement the first vertical farm dedicated to vine seedlings, as well as a forestry project and a Canadian collaboration on strawberries. Fund-raising will also enable the design of a new phytotron with advanced robotics and multispectral imaging tools for applications in sectors such as perfumery.

Abelio, for its part, is developing new services in sectors such as arboriculture, vegetable production and viticulture. These innovations aim to broaden their scope of intervention, while reinforcing the impact of their digital tools on the rational management of inputs and resources. Axioma is preparing to launch a new biostimulant dedicated to oilseed crops, while stepping up its international expansion with new trials in markets such as Australia and Brazil.

These objectives are part of a collective dynamic, in which each innovation is designed to integrate harmoniously with the others. By measuring the positive impact of proposed solutions on input reduction, crop resilience and the optimization of farming practices, these companies are helping to bring about a form of agriculture that is more respectful of ecosystems and more efficient in the face of climatic and regulatory changes.