André Bernard : “We need to intensify research and inter-sector network experimentation”

AUTHOR : Bertrand FIGUIER, Plasticulture

Both aware of the challenges to overcome and confident in the agricultural development prospects of the Southeast, André Bernard, President of the Regional Chamber of Agriculture of PACA, does not mince words in delivering an energetic and clear-eyed assessment of the constraints and strengths of regional agriculture.

Plasticulture Magazine : What major challenges must agriculture in your region address ?

André Bernard : There are three main challenges. First, of course, agriculture in the Southeast must adapt to climate change. This has been intensifying in recent years. We must be able to protect crops from various climatic events. Agricultural plastics, from greenhouses, which are growing a lot, to anti-hail nets, are obviously part of the issue and the solutions. For example, we are now realizing that we likely need to change the greenhouse model, as with the heatwaves we’ve been experiencing, smaller greenhouses seem less suitable than taller ones, which means we need to rethink the entire greenhouse sector.

“Our three main challenges: climate adaptation, water conservation, and reduction of phytosanitary products.”

The second challenge is related to the first: the issue of water, a very important resource for production. Even though our region is quite well-equipped with storage and transfer infrastructure, this resource must be conserved, and any use of plastic, in terms of mulching or crop protection, reduces water consumption. This is actually a big task undertaken together by the Experimental Stations, the Chambers of Agriculture, and their client, the Regional Irrigation and Mediterranean Innovation Center.

Plastic and Plant Growth

Finally, the third major challenge that is becoming more pressing is the reduction of phytosanitary inputs for crop protection. Regarding fertilizers, we don’t have many problems, but when I was a melon producer, only a few of us used them, whereas today, every producer uses P17 or “500-hole” mulching to protect crops from insects. Plastic is just as useful for accelerating plant growth, in the case of climatic events, as it is for protecting them from pests. Today, it is increasingly difficult to use phytosanitary products, and plastic, whether mulch or netting, turns out to be a relevant means of mechanical protection in some cases. Many studies have been conducted to improve the application of these products and better adapt crop management.